Sir Richard Branson is the founder of the Virgin Group, one of the world’s most irresistible brands, which has expanded into many diverse sectors, including travel, telecommunications, health, banking, music, and leisure. Having started Virgin as a mail-order record retailer in 1970, Branson founded Virgin Records. After the first Virgin artist, Mike Oldfield, released Tubular Bells, Virgin Records went on to sign household names including the Sex Pistols and the Rolling Stones. There are now more than forty Virgin companies worldwide in over thirty-five countries. Branson has challenged himself with many record-breaking adventures, including the fastest-ever Atlantic Ocean crossing, a series of oceanic balloon journeys, and kitesurfing across the English Channel. He has described Virgin Galactic, the world’s first commercial spaceline, as being “the greatest adventure of all.” Branson has nearly forty million followers on social media and blogs regularly on issues including entrepreneurship, the environment, and adventure to purpose. Since starting the youth culture magazine Student at age fifteen, he has found entrepreneurial ways to drive positive change in the world. In 2004, Branson established Virgin Unite, the nonprofit foundation of the Virgin Group, which unites people and entrepreneurial ideas to create opportunities for a better world. Most of his time is now spent building businesses that will make a positive difference in the world and working with Virgin Unite and organizations it has incubated, such as The Elders, The B Team, and Ocean Unite. Read more at www.virgin.com/branson-family/richard-branson-blog.
