When you think of the word entrepreneur, you think of Sir Richard Branson. Branson has re-written the book on diversification. You’d be hardpressed to find a field that Branson doesn’t have his hand in, or hasn’t explored at some point. There’s certainly a lot that can be learned from this visionary man. Astounde did some research and compiled a list of some unknown facts about the Virgin megastar.
10. There have been a lot of college dropouts, but Branson was a high school dropout, leaving at age 16.
9. Branson was lysdexic, yet started a magazine called ‘Student’ as a teenager that was successful selling ads.
8. Branson, knighted by the Queen, isn’t afraid to poke fun of himself, and has made numerous guest appearances on many popular shows such as Friends and Baywatch.
7. His company was called Virgin because of his initial inexperience in business. Virgin started out in 1969 a mail-order record company to help fund his magazine. Virgin is now is an umbrella to over 400 companies in over 30 countries.
6. Branson owns his own island called Necker Island, which coincidentally is located in the British Virgin Islands.
5. Sir Richard believes in a ‘bottom heavy approach’ to avoid bureaucracy and enable employees to be creative and successful.
4. Branson sold his record business, Virgin Records, in 1992 for $1 billion. He wept during the entire contract process.
3. Branson is a Trekkie who invited William Shatner on the first Virgin Galactic flight, the VSS Enterprise.
2. In 2007, Branson started a group called ‘The Elders’ with Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, Kofi Annan, and Jimmy Carter. The goal of the group is to find new ways to end human suffering, share wisdom, and find peaceful resolutions to difficult conflicts.
1. Branson was the first man to ever cross the Pacific and Atlantic in a hot-air balloon and is now looking to opportunities in space. He has always thrived by focusing on goals and projects that seemed unattainable. Virgin Galactic and Interplanetary are on the horizon.
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