Richard Branson

The Manor Studios (cropped)

Virgin Atlantic A340-600 (G-VWEB) arrives London Heathrow 7Jun2015 arp

Lichfield Trent Valley railway station MMB 05 390XXX

Richard Branson 2001

Alberto Hazan and Richard Branson 2007

RichardBransonBoardVAOCApr09

Richard Branson

Richard Branson (born 18 July 1950) is a British business magnate, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He is best known as the founder of the Virgin Group, which controls more than 400 companies in various fields. Branson expressed his desire to become an entrepreneur at a young age. His first business venture, at the age of 16, was a magazine called Student.

Early Life[edit | edit source]

Richard Branson was born in Blackheath, London. He struggled with dyslexia and had poor academic performance, but he excelled in sports. Branson's parents were supportive of his endeavors, and his mother was an entrepreneur herself.

Virgin Group[edit | edit source]

The Virgin Group was founded in 1970 when Branson started a mail-order record business. In 1972, he opened a chain of record stores, Virgin Records, later known as Virgin Megastores. The brand grew rapidly during the 1980s, as Branson expanded into various sectors, including airlines with Virgin Atlantic, mobile telephony with Virgin Mobile, and space tourism with Virgin Galactic.

Virgin Records[edit | edit source]

Virgin Records was one of the first ventures under the Virgin brand. It became a major success, signing artists such as Mike Oldfield, whose album Tubular Bells was a significant hit. The label also signed Sex Pistols, Culture Club, and The Rolling Stones.

Virgin Atlantic[edit | edit source]

In 1984, Branson founded Virgin Atlantic, an airline that aimed to provide high-quality service at competitive prices. The airline became known for its innovative marketing and customer service.

Virgin Galactic[edit | edit source]

In 2004, Branson founded Virgin Galactic, a company focused on developing commercial spacecraft and providing suborbital spaceflights to space tourists. The company aims to make space travel accessible to the general public.

Philanthropy[edit | edit source]

Branson is also known for his philanthropic efforts. He has pledged to donate a significant portion of his wealth to various causes, including climate change, global health, and education. He is a signatory of The Giving Pledge, a commitment by the world's wealthiest individuals to give away the majority of their wealth to philanthropic causes.

Personal Life[edit | edit source]

Branson is married to Joan Templeman, and they have two children, Holly and Sam. The family resides on Necker Island, a private island in the British Virgin Islands owned by Branson.