It’s very unusual to know that a person who is known for his adventurous spirit & sporting achievements holds whole Virgins Group of business. Yes, you got it right Richard Charles Nicholas Branson, British businessman & investor, is the founder of fortune conglomerate of businesses – The Virgin Group.

1. 1
All contents © 2016 Effectus Solutions Pvt Ltd (CrossProf.com). All rights reserved.
It’sveryunusual to knowthata personwhoisknownforhisadventurousspirit&sportingachievements
holdswhole VirginsGroupof business.Yes,yougotitright Richard CharlesNicholasBranson, British
businessman&investor,isthe founderof fortune conglomerate of businesses –The Virgin Group.He
landedatno. 12 positionon Forbes‘ World Billionaire listwiththe income worth $5 billion inself-made
fortune.Branson’scareerhasbeencheckered&controversial. He hadsome notable successeslike
Virgin Records & Virgin Atlantics thoughhe evenhassome publicfailureslike Virgin Cola,Virgin Racing,
Virgin Brides. His bouncingbackstory,passionforexpandingthe businessbybringingdisruptive change
& adventurousstyle iswhatanentrepreneurcanlookto.
Currently,Virgingroupof companiesconsistsof more than 400 companiesworldwide,includingVirgin
Atlantic,Virgin America,Virgin Galactic & Virgin Mobiles.He expandedhisbusinessinmore than30
countries,includingthe UK,the US,Australia, Canada, Asia, Europe&South Africa. Itscore business
areas are many consistingtravel,entertainmentandlifestyle,anditalsomanagesventuresin financial
services, transport,healthcare,food anddrink,media andtelecommunications;together.He even
expandedhisbusinessestoincludeatraincompany,a luxurygame preserve,amobile phonecompany
and a space-tourismcompany- VirginGalactic.

2. 2
All contents © 2016 Effectus Solutions Pvt Ltd (CrossProf.com). All rights reserved.
Early Days Venture
On 18th
July,1950, RichardBranson had bornto a barrister– Edward James Branson & Eve Branson in
Surrey(England).
Student Magazine
Bransonhad a hard time witheducational institutions.He struggledalotduringhischildhooddayswith
dyslexia. Strugglingforlong-time,Bransondroppedoutfromhighschool atthe age of 16 & starteda
youthmagazine meantforstudentscalled Student.In1966, he launchedthe publicationwhichwasrun
by Students.He sold$8,000 worth of advertisinginitsfifthedition.The first50, 000 copiesof it were
distributedforfree,inspiteof thisBransonwasable to coverthe costs withadvertising.
VirginRecords – RecordingStudio
In 1969, Bransonusedto live ina Londoncommune surroundedwithBritishmusic& drug scenes.That
time he was inneedof fundsforhisMagazine,so he got an ideato beginamail-orderrecordcompany
namedVirgin.The companyperformedaverage butwassufficientenoughforBransontohave a record
shopin OxfordStreet,London.
Afterthe successof record shop,in 1972 he wasable to buildarecording studioin Oxfordshire,
England. VirginRecord’s firstsong‘TabularBells’in 1973 by Mike Oldfield was an instantsmashinghit&

3. 3
All contents © 2016 Effectus Solutions Pvt Ltd (CrossProf.com). All rights reserved.
stayedonthe UK charts for 247 weeks.Bransonthensignedotheraspiringmusical groupstolabel,
includingthe Sex Pistols,cultureclub,the rolling stone& Genesis. Thisall helpedVirginMusictobecome
one of the top six recordcompaniesinthe world.
Voyager Group– Travel Company
In 1980, Bransonthistime expandedhisentrepreneurialeffortstothe travel company – The Voyager
Group.
VirginAtlantic – Airlines
In 1984, he expandedtoVirginAtlanticsairlines&a chainof the record store called - VirginMegastores.
But suddenlyin 1992, Virginwasstrugglingtostay financiallystable.Solaterthatyearthe companywas
soldto THORN EMI for $1 billion,
--ReboundingStory—
Bransonlauncheda since-shutteredchainof bridal shops inthe mid-1990s.And,of course,there'sVirgin
Cola,the billionaire'sattempttodethrone Coca-Cola-- forwhichhe famously drove atankintoTimes
Square to announce -- that he admitsisperhapshisbiggestbusinessstumble.Richardisof view that,‘if
we succeed1st time, then it can be big story butcan’tbe massivestory.’ Hisexperimental wayof doing
businesshadputVirginonthe map & gave it the boldimage whichturnedthemintoadventurous
company& brand.
"Screw it, justdo it"is hisapproach to everything.He lovestogive everythingatry.Even while starting
VirginAtlantic he faceda lotof skepticismanddoubt.Butwhathaskepthim continuingwithhisrisky
businesseswashisspiritof believinginhimself.He thinksinaway that if I am able torun one business
well thenIshouldrunthe otherone too.
VirginRadio Station
Bransonwas totallydisheartenedbythe lossbutremainedstubborntostayinthe musicbusiness.In
1993, he came upwiththe VirginRadioStation.

4. 4
All contents © 2016 Effectus Solutions Pvt Ltd (CrossProf.com). All rights reserved.

5. 5
All contents © 2016 Effectus Solutions Pvt Ltd (CrossProf.com). All rights reserved.
V2 Record Company
In 1996, he startedhissecondrecordcompany – V2. Currently,the recordcompanyincludesfamous
artistsuch as PowderFinger& TomJones..
VirginGalactic – Space TourismCompany
Bransonput handsin the pioneering technology withVirginGalactic.He was alwaysinterestedin
spaceflightsince the 1960s. The company aimsto offersuborbital flightsintospace to payingcustomers
inthe nextfewyears.
The start date forflightshasbeenpushedbackfrom2007 several times. Developmentheadaches,
a 2007 fatal explosion duringagroundtestanda tragictest-flightcrashinOctober2014 are some of the
thingsthat have delayedwork. Histeamstronglybelievesthat trulyopeningspace andmakingit
accessible andsafe isof vital importance toall our futures.
Sporting Achievements

6. 6
All contents © 2016 Effectus Solutions Pvt Ltd (CrossProf.com). All rights reserved.
Sir Bransonisveryadventurousinnature. WithbusinessatVirginRecordsandVirginAtlanticbooming,
Bransonbeganpursuingchallengesof aphysical andengineeringnature. The CEO& founderof Virgin
Group had setworldrecordsinfour modesof transport - boating,ballooning, amphibiousvehicle,and
kite surfing.
In 1986, Sir RichardBranson made history,smashingthe worldrecordfor the fastest evercrossing of
the Atlantic onthe 72ft VirginAtlanticChallengerII.He shavedtwohoursoff the existingrecordwithhis
time of three days,eighthoursand 31 minutes. Thenaged36, andjusttwo yearsafterhe hadstarted
hisownairline, launched hisreputationasan adventurerwiththisachievement.SirRichardteamedup
withthe six-strongcrewincludingroundthe worldyachtsman SirChay Blyth to beatthe recordfrom
NewYork to BishopRockoff the Islesof Scillybytwohours.
Branson'sfavorite mode of transportis hot-airballooning, thismaybe exactlythe reasonwhyhe had
seta worldrecordfor it. Aftera successful boatingstunt,Bransonsethissightsonanotherworldrecord:
crossing the Atlantic by hot-air balloon.Because he knew little about ballooning,Bransontrained
himself for3years bypracticingskydiving,watersurvival,andballoonflight.In July1987, Bransonand
hiscopilot, PerLindstrand,anexperiencedballoonist, setoutfromSugarloaf,Maine (3rd
highestpeakin
the US), withthe goal of reachingwesternScotland.Bothwere successfulinmakingthe record,butthey
had a near-deathexperience whilelanding.Againin 1991, Bransonmade the secondof hisrecord-
breakingflights,becomingthe firsttocross the PacificOceanina hot-airballoon. Inspite of this,he
attemptedtocircle the globe ina hot-airballoon.
He alsoholdsa record forkite-surfing acrossthe EnglishChannel.
Branson Being Author
Bransonhas alsobeingan authorfor nearly7 booksinwhichhe sharedhisexperience of beingan
entrepreneur.The bookshe wrote includes; LosingMyVirginity:How I've survived,HadFun,andMade
a Fortune DoingBusinessMyWay (1998), Screw It, Let'sDo It (2006), BusinessStrippedBare (2008) &
manymore.
Current Life
Since 2005, Sir Richard,64, has steppedbackfromday-to-dayrunningof VirginGroupHoldings,tofocus
on hischaritable activitiesandspace tourism. VirginCompaniesmade $25 billioninrevenuesin2012.
But VGH (VirginGroupHoldings) owns27% of the 12 largestVirgincompaniesbyrevenues. A majorityof
the revenue comesfromfeesitchargesforlendingthe virginname. Therefore,ahuge amountof
revenue isdependentonthe value of the VirginbrandwhichisimmediatelylinkedtoSirRichard
himself.
ThoughBranson hascontinuedhisdaredevil anticsindifferentways,these dayshe devotesmore of his
immense energytowardpursuingphilanthropicandhumanitarianefforts, includingreformof druglaws,
resolutionof global conflicts,andenvironmentalism. We really look forward&acknowledge
entrepreneurslikehimtosetan inspirationforall of us.

7. 7
All contents © 2016 Effectus Solutions Pvt Ltd (CrossProf.com). All rights reserved.

8. 8
All contents © 2016 Effectus Solutions Pvt Ltd (CrossProf.com). All rights reserved.
Ref:
http://www.biography.com/people/richard-branson-9224520#synopsis
http://www.forbes.com/profile/richard-branson/
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3069993/Boat-Branson-household-sold-725-000-saved-
scrapyard.html
http://www.businessinsider.in/Maverick-Billionaire-Richard-Branson-On-The-Adventure-Hes-Loved-
Most/articleshow/44718830.cms
http://www.space.com/18993-virgin-galactic.html
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/225536