Early Life
Richard Charles Nicholas Branson was born July 18, 1950 in Surrey, England. His father, Edward James Branson, as a barrister. Eve Branson, his mother, as a flight attendant. Richard, struggling with dyslexia, bad days with the educational institutions. He barely out all the boy Scaitcliffe school, until the age of 13, he took part. He then transferred to Stowe School, a boarding school in Buckinghamshire, England, Bristol. Still struggling to Branson's 16-year-old out-of-school youth culture magazine called the students began. Published, by students, for students in its first version, was established in 1966 to sell 80 million yuan worth of advertising. Free distribution of 50,000 copies of the first run the Branson advertising cover costs.
In 1969, Branson lived in a commune in London, surrounded by the British music and drug scene. It was at this time that the idea of Branson began mailings, Virgin Records, to fund his magazine work. The moderate growth, but Branson, so he can expand his commercial enterprises, adding a record shop in Oxford Street, London. With the success of the record shop, high school dropout was established in 1972 in the UK Oxfordshire a studio.
Virgin Records
His single "Tubular Bells" in 1973 with the help of Branson's team, his first artist's Virgin album, Mike Oldfield, recorded. The song was an instant smash, live in the UK charts for 247 weeks. The Branson momentum Oldfield success, and then signed the the aspiring music labels, including the Sex Pistols. Culture Club, the Rolling Stones, and Genesis artists to help Virgin Music record company one of the world's top six.
Business Expansion
Branson expanded his entrepreneurial efforts again this time, including the travel company Travelers Group in 1980, the airline in 1984, Virgin Atlantic Airways Virgin supermarkets. Branson's success is not always predictable. 1992, Virgin suddenly struggling to maintain fiscal floating. After the company was sold, THORN EMI for $ 10 billion. Branson was crushed by the loss, according to reports, after the signing of the contract, to cry, but still determined to continue to stay in the music business. In 1993, he founded the station Virgin Radio, a few years later, he began a second record company, V2. Founded in 1996, V2 now includes artists such as pink fingers and Tom Jones.
Branson's Virgin Group currently has more than 200 companies in 30 countries worldwide, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Canada, Asia, Europe and South Africa. He expanded his business, including train company, a luxury prey protected areas, a mobile phone company, and Virgin Galactic space tourism company. Space flight in 2009.
Branson is also very famous for his sporting achievements, in particular, to break the record crossing the Atlantic Virgin Atlantic Challenger II in 1986, the hot air balloon (1987) in the Atlantic and the Pacific (1991), the first intersection. He was knighted in 1999 for his contribution to business, and in 2009 Forbes list of global billionaires, he landed in 261 on his $ 250 million in home-made wealth, including two private island.
Branson's wife, his second wife, Joan Templeman, he has two children: Holly and Sam. He currently lives in London.