Richard Branson Bio | Wiki
Richard Branson (Full Name: Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson) is a popular British billionaire, entrepreneur, and business magnate who founded the Virgin Group, which now controls over 400 companies in various fields. He expressed his desire to become an entrepreneur at a young age. Richard’s first business venture, at the age of 16, was a magazine called Student.
In March 2000, Richard was knighted at Buckingham Palace for “services to entrepreneurship”. For Richard’s work in retail, music, and transport (with interests in land, air, sea, and space travel), his taste for adventure, and for his humanitarian work, Richard has become a prominent global figure. In 2007, Richard was placed in the Time 100 Most Influential People in the World list.
On 11 July 2021, Richard traveled as a passenger onboard Virgin Galactic Unity 22 at the edge of space, a suborbital test flight due to his spaceflight company Virgin Galactic. The aim lasted approximately one hour, reaching a peak altitude of 53.5 miles (86.1 km). At 70, Richard became the third oldest person to fly to space.
Richard Branson Age
Richard was born on July 18, 1950, in Blackheath, London, England. He is 73 years old. Richard celebrates his birthday on July 18, every year.
Richard Branson Height
He is a man of above-average stature. Richard stands at a height of 5 ft 11 in ( Approx 1.78m ).
Richard Branson Family
He was born in Blackheath, London, to Eve Branson (née Evette Huntley Flindt; 1924–2021), a retired ballet dancer and air hostess, and Edward James Branson (1918–2011), a barrister. Richard has two younger sisters named Lindy Branson and Vanessa Branson. Richard’s grandfather, Sir George Arthur Harwin Branson, worked as a judge of the High Court of Justice and a Privy Councillor.
Richard’s third great-grandfather, John Edward Branson, left England for India in 1793; John Edward’s father, Harry Wilkins Branson, afterward joined him in Madras. From 1793, four generations of his family were at Cuddalore Tamilnadu. On the show Finding Your Roots, Richard was shown to have 3.9% South Asian (Indian) DNA, likely through intermarriage. Afterward, Richard stated that one of his great-great-great-grandmothers was an Indian named Ariya.
Richard Branson Wife
Richard is married to his wife Joan Templeman, whom he met in 1976. The pair married in 1989 on Necker Island. Richard and his second wife Joan have a daughter named Holly who was born in 1981 and a son named Sam who was born in 1985. He stated in an interview with Piers Morgan that he and Joan also had a daughter named Clare Sarah, who died when she was four days old in 1979. Previously, Richard was married to his wife Kristen Tomassi. The pair married in 1972 and divorced in 1979.
Richard Branson Daughter
Richard and his second wife Joan have a daughter named Holly Branson who was born in 1981 and a son named Sam who was born in 1985. He stated in an interview with Piers Morgan that he and Joan also had a daughter named Clare Sarah, who died when she was four days old in 1979.
Richard Branson Education
He studied at Scaitcliffe School, a prep school in Surrey, prior to briefly attending Cliff View House School in Sussex. Richard attended Stowe School, an independent school in Buckinghamshire until the age of sixteen.
Richard Branson Space Flight
On 25 September 2004, Richard reported the signing of a deal under which a new space tourism company, Virgin Galactic, will license the technology behind SpaceShipOne—sponsored by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and designed by aeronautical engineer Burt Rutan—to take paying passengers into suborbital outer space. Virgin Galactic plans to make flights available to the public with tickets priced at US$200,000 using the Scaled Composites White Knight Two. The spacecraft, SpaceShipTwo, is manufactured by The Spaceship Company, which became founded by Branson and Rutan and is currently solely owned by Virgin Galactic.
In 2013, Richard said that he planned to take his two children, Holly and Sam, on a trip to outer space when they ride the SpaceShipTwo rocket plane on its first public flight, then planned for 2014. As part of his promotion of the firm, Richard has added a variation of the Virgin Galactic livery to his personal business jet, the Dassault Falcon 900EX “Galactic Girl” (G-GALX). On 11 July 2021, he took a flight with Beth Moses, Sirisha Bandla, and Colin Bennett and reached the edge of space (86 kilometers or 53 miles) on a Virgin Galactic spacecraft titled VSS Unity. This made Richard the first billionaire founder of a space company to travel to the edge of space.
Richard Branson Quotes
– “If somebody offers you an amazing opportunity but you are not sure you can do it, say yes – then learn how to do it later!”
– “Respect is how to treat everyone, not just those you want to impress.”
– “Life is a helluva lot more fun if you say yes rather than no”
– “Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don’t want to.”
– “The brave may not live forever – But the cautious do not live at all”
– “You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over.”
– “Throwing yourself into a job you enjoy is one of the life’s greatest pleasures!”
– “Business opportunities are like buses; there’s always another one coming.”
– “Only a fool never changes his mind.”
– “A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts.”
Richard Branson Friends
He has guest starred, usually playing himself, on many television shows, such as Friends, Baywatch, Birds of a Feather, Only Fools and Horses, The Day Today, a special episode of the comedy Goodness Gracious Me, and Tripping Over.
Richard Branson Shark Tank
In October 2017, Richard appeared on the Season 9 Premiere of Shark Tank as a guest investor, where Richard invested in Locker Board, a sustainable line of skateboards invented by 11-year-old, Carson Kropfl. He told the young businessman that he reminded him of himself. Richard became the richest Shark to have appeared on the show.
Richard Branson Virgin
He is the founder of Virgin Group, which now controls over 400 companies in various fields. In 1970, Richard set up a mail-order record business. He opened a chain of record stores, Virgin Records—later named Virgin Megastores—in 1972. His Virgin brand grew rapidly during the 1980s, as he began Virgin Atlantic airline and expanded the Virgin Records music label. In 1997, Richard 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 through 2019, the InterCity CrossCountry franchise from 1997 through 2007, and the InterCity East Coast franchise from 2015 through 2018. In 2004, Richard founded spaceflight corporation Virgin Galactic, based at Mojave Air and Space Port in California, known for the SpaceShipTwo suborbital spaceplane designed for space tourism.
Richard Branson Books
– Screw It, Let’s Do It (2006)
– Losing My Virginity (1998)
– The Virgin way: everything I know about leadership (2014)
– Like a Virgin: Secrets They Won’t Teach You at Business School (2012)
– LIKE A VIRGIN (2017)
– Let’s Not Screw It, Let’s Just Do It (2007)
– Globalisation Laid Bare: Lessons in International Business (2009)
– Reach for the Skies: Ballooning, Birdmen and Blasting Into Space (2010)
– The Virgin Way: If It’s Not Fun, It’s Not Worth Doing (2015)
Richard Branson Net Worth
Richard gets his wealth from his work as a British billionaire, entrepreneur, and business magnate who founded the Virgin Group, which now controls over 400 companies in various fields. Therefore, Richard has accumulated a decent fortune over the years. Richard’s estimated net worth is $4 billion.
Is Richard Branson Married
Yes, Richard married his wife Joan Templeman, whom he met in 1976. The pair married in 1989 on Necker Island. Richard and his second wife Joan have a daughter named Holly who was born in 1981 and a son named Sam who was born in 1985.
How Old Is Richard Branson
Richard is a 73-year-old who was born on July 18, 1950, in Blackheath, London, England.
Who Is Richard Branson
Richard is a British billionaire, entrepreneur, and business magnate who founded the Virgin Group, which now controls over 400 companies in various fields. He expressed his desire to become an entrepreneur at a young age. Richard’s first business venture, at the age of 16, was a magazine called Student.
Richard Branson Social Media Handles
Twitter – @richardbranson
Instagram – richardbranson