All about richard branson biography

Richard Branson founded Virgin, one of the world’s most admired brands, in 1970. Since then, it has expanded into many diverse sectors from travel to telecommunications, health to banking, and music to leisure.  

Having started Virgin as a mail order record retailer in 1970, Richard founded Virgin Records, which became the world’s biggest independent record label. There are now more than 40 Virgin companies worldwide in over 35 countries.

Since starting Student magazine in his teens, Richard has found entrepreneurial ways to provoke positive change in the world for over 50 years. In 2004, Richard established the non-profit entrepreneurial foundation Virgin Unite to challenge unacceptable issues, create opportunities for a better world, and promote business as a force for good.

Richard became an astronaut in 2021, flying on board VSS Unity as part of the first fully crewed Virgin Galactic mission, Unity 22.  

In 2024 Richard released his first complete audiobook, Losing and Finding My Virginity, which combines his two bestselling memoirs into one audiobook – read aloud by Richard himself. Richard maintains a regular blog, and has more than 41 million followers across his social networks. 

Richard was awarded a knighthood in 1999 for services to entrepreneurship. He lives in the British Virgin Islands with his wife Joan and has two children, Holly and Sam. He is a proud grand-dude to five grandchildren – Etta, Artie, Lola, Eva-Deia, and Bluey.

Richard is available for a select number of speaking engagements per year around the world. All funds raised from Richard's speaking engagements go to Virgin Unite - the entrepreneurial foundation of the Vir

British business magnate (born 1950)

Not to be confused with Richard Bronson or Richard Brandon.

Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson (born 18 July 1950) is an English business magnate who co-founded the Virgin Group in 1970, and as of 2016 controlled 5 companies remaining of once more than 400.

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. In 1970, he set up a mail-order record business. He opened a chain of record stores, Virgin Records—later known as Virgin Megastores—in 1972. Branson's Virgin brand grew rapidly during the 1980s, as he started the Virgin Atlantic airline and expanded the Virgin Records music label. In 1997, Branson founded the Virgin Rail Group to bid for passenger rail franchises during the privatisation of British Rail. The Virgin Trains brand operated the InterCity West Coast franchise from 1997 to 2019, the InterCity CrossCountry franchise from 1997 to 2007, and the InterCity East Coast franchise from 2015 to 2018. In 2004, he founded spaceflight corporation Virgin Galactic, based at Mojave Air and Space Port in California, noted for the SpaceShipTwosuborbitalspaceplane designed for space tourism.

In March 2000, Branson was knighted at Buckingham Palace for "services to entrepreneurship". Due to his work in retail, music, and transport, his taste for adventure, and for his hum

Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson (born 18 July 1950) is an Englishbusinessman.

He is the chairman of the Virgin Group, a group of companies including Virgin Atlantic Airways and Virgin Records. Branson started Virgin people, a private company that is trying to get people in space. According to Forbes, Branson was the 245th richest person in the world in 2008.

Branson is adventurous and has sporting achievements, he flew around the world in a hot air balloon where he nearly got killed.

On 11 July 2021, Branson flew to space, reaching a peak altitude of 53.5 miles (86.1 km) as part of a test flight for his company, Virgin Galactic. The mission lasted approximately one hour.

Education and career

Richard Branson did not attend college. Branson started his career by setting up a mail order record business. He opened a chain of record stores called Virgin Records later known as Virgin Megastores in 1972.

Life

His mother was activist Eve Branson. Branson has been diagnosed with Dyslexia and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. He lives on an island called Necker, he owns this island in the Caribbean.

He was born in Blackheath, London, England.

References

(1950-)

Who Is Richard Branson?

Richard Branson struggled in school and dropped out at age 16 — a decision that ultimately led to the creation of Virgin Records. His entrepreneurial projects started in the music industry and expanded into other sectors, including the space-tourism venture Virgin Galactic, making him a billionaire. Branson is also known for his adventurous spirit and sporting achievements, including crossing oceans in a hot air balloon.

Young Entrepreneur

Richard Charles Nicholas Branson was born on July 18, 1950, in Surrey, England. His father, Edward James Branson, worked as a barrister. His mother, Eve Branson, was employed as a flight attendant. Branson, who struggled with dyslexia, had a hard time with educational institutions. He nearly failed out of the all-boys Scaitcliffe School, which he attended until the age of 13. He then transferred to Stowe School, a boarding school in Stowe, Buckinghamshire, England.

Still struggling, Branson dropped out at the age of 16 to start a youth-culture magazine called Student. The publication, run by students, sold $8,000 worth of advertising in its first edition, launched in 1966. The first run of 50,000 copies was disseminated for free, with Branson afterward covering the costs through advertising.

By 1969, Branson was living in a London commune, surrounded by the British music and drug scene. It was during this time that Branson had the idea to begin a mail-order record company called Virgin to help fund his magazine efforts. The company performed modestly but well enough for Branson to expand his business venture, with a record shop on Oxford Street, London. With the success of the new store, the high school dropout was able to build a recording studio in 1972 in Oxfordshire, England.

Virgin Records

The first artist on the Virgin Records label, Mike Oldfield, recorded his single "Tubular Bells" in 1973 with the help of Branson's team. The song was an instant sm