A high school dropout who is now among the wealthiest business titans in the world is Richard Branson. He is the founder and chairman of the prestigious Virgin Group, and his record of entrepreneurship is unmatched. Virgin Group, which began as a little store called Virgin Recordings that sold music recordings, now owns more than 400 businesses. Virgin Megastores, Virgin Atlantic Airways, and many more were added as the business eventually grew. The fourth richest guy in the United Kingdom and one of the ten most powerful persons in the world, this billionaire has a net worth of US$ 4.2 billion. Aside from his newsworthy profession, he has also acted in a number of television shows and played himself in a few films. He starred in the reality series “The Rebel Billionaire: Branson’s Quest for the Best” and made appearances in the films “Casino Royale” and “Around the World in 80 Days.” Branson, a devoted Star Trek enthusiast, received praise from critics and an international bestseller for his autobiography, “How I Lost My Virginity.” He has received various honors and currently serves as a patron for a number of international charities, including “Prisoners Abroad” and “International Rescue Corps.” Scroll down for a summary of this person’s life and career.
Early Childhood & Life
He was the eldest child of Eve Huntley Branson and attorney Edward James Branson. His paternal grandfather, Sir George Arthur Harwin Branson, served as a Privy Councillor and judge on the High Court of Justice. Up until the age of 16, he attended Stowe School after finishing his studies at Scaitcliffe School. Despite his poor academic
performance, he was able to interact with others around him. He eventually left school after recognizing that was not where he belonged. At the age of 16, he began his record company from a church’s basement and advertised the well-known recordings in the journal “The Student.” The magazine was an immediate hit, and he quickly started trading recordings as “Virgin.”
Richard Branson’s Career
In 1972, Richard Branson established a tiny recording studio in Oxfordshire, England, during the music-drug scene of the early 1970s in the UK. Mike Oldfield, who recorded the tune “Tubular Bells,” was the first artist signed to the Virgin Records label.
Following Oldfield’s success, he signed the Rolling Stones, the Sex Pistols, and the Culture Club to Virgin Records. Virgin Records would soon become one of the best record labels in the world thanks to these groups.
Following the success of Virgin Records, he broadened his commercial pursuits and founded the Voyager Group, his own travel business, in 1980.
He grew his company in 1984 and launched his own airline group, “Virgin Atlantic,” along with a number of Virgin Megastores in the years that followed. He did not always experience success, and his firms occasionally ran into cash flow issues.
In 1992, The Virgin Group experienced financial difficulties and was ultimately sold to THORN EMI for $1 billion. He was saddened but kept working in the music industry. In 1996, he founded another record label called V2, which is still in business today and has signed performers including Tom Jones and Powder Finger. He stated on September 25, 2004, that he was enlisting the help of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and Burt Rutan to launch a new space tourism business dubbed “Virgin Galactic.”
In 2004, he served as a judge for the reality competition ‘The Rebel Billionaire: Branson’s Quest for the Best,’ which assessed the entrepreneurship skills of 14 contestants. He also had a cameo appearance in “Around the World in 80 Days” that same year. On February 1, 2007, Branson established the Virgin Health Bank, ensuring that expectant parents may preserve stem cells for the future.
Additionally, it gives parents the choice to store the umbilical cord of their child. He endorsed the Gordon Bennett Gas Balloon Race in 2010, which sent over 16 balloons soaring across Europe. He declared in July 2012 that he will launch LauncherOne, an orbital space launch.
Richard’s Bigger Works
He is the chairman and owner of the Virgin Group, which has more than 400 businesses operating in 30 nations today. His business empire consists of a space tourism company, an airline, a luxury game preserve, a railway company, and a mobile phone company. He is the author of the memoir “Losing My Virginity,” which tells the tale of his rise from poverty to affluence. Overnight, the book gained international acclaim, and David Mirkin and Steven Paul turned it into a biopic.
Recognition & Achievements
On December 7, 2007, he received the Citizen of the World Award from the United Nations Correspondents Association for his humanitarian work. On November 14, 2011, the International Space Transport Association honored him with the ISTA Prize for his contributions to space transport systems. He was listed as the fourth richest British national in 2012 by Forbes Magazine’s list of billionaires.
Personal Legacy & Life
In 1972, Richard Branson wed Kristen Tomassi; they were divorced in 1979. On Necker Island, a British Virgin Islands island that he owns, he wed Joan Templeman in 1989. He also owns property in Antigua and Barbuda. He has a daughter and a son.
He is a devoted fan of the Oxford United football team. He travels frequently to support humanitarian projects, and in May 2008, he visited the Massai Mara to inaugurate a new school. He has also donated to the Global Commission on Drug Policy and volunteered to help sponsor charity events.
Estimated Net Worth
The British entrepreneur, philanthropist, and media figure Sir Richard Branson has a $4 billion net worth. CEO of the Virgin Group Richard Branson made his fortune in this capacity. Additionally well known throughout the world is Richard Branson’s unconventional and risk-taking nature. Virgin Megastores, Virgin Galactic, Virgin Mobile, and Virgin Airways are some of Richard Branson’s business endeavors.
Trivia
This business magnate has admitted to fantasizing about setting up a casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. This well-known individual likes to maintain a hammock in his workspace where he likes to come up with ideas. He is the owner of the $30 million yacht “Necker Belle” and the three-person submarine “Necker Nymph.” This successful businessman has dyslexia.