Sir Richard Branson Essay Example
Sir Richard Branson Essay Example

Sir Richard Branson Essay Example

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  • Pages: 2 (469 words)
  • Published: May 8, 2017
  • Type: Autobiography
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Sir Richard Branson, born on July 18, 1950, is a famous British entrepreneur and the founder of Virgin – a globally recognized brand. He is renowned for his highly successful companies under the Virgin name and their related products. Branson is also known for his remarkable endeavors to break world records. At 16 years old, while in school, he started a magazine called "Student." Additionally, at only 17 years old, he founded the Student Advisory Center to support and help young individuals.

Starting at 20, he founded a company named "Virgin" that functioned as a mail order record store. Subsequently, in 1972, he established a Virgin record store on Oxford Street in London and a recording studio in Oxfordshire. The initial artist to join Virgin records was Mike Oldfield in 1973, producing the immensely successful album "Tubular Bells," which sold more than f

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ive million copies. At the age of 27, Branson signed the renowned band "Sex Pistols" to Virgin Records after they faced rejection from all English record labels.

Richard Branson transformed Virgin Records into a thriving enterprise during his ownership. He secured deals with renowned artists such as Steve Winwood, Paula Abdul, Belinda Carlisle, Genesis, Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel, Simple Minds, The Human League, Bryan Ferry, Culture Club, Janet Jackson, and The Rolling Stones. In 1992, Branson sold the record labels, music publishing, and recording studios of the Virgin Music Group to Thorn EMI for a massive $1 billion.

In 1984, Richard Branson started Virgin Atlantic Airways, which is now the second largest long-haul English airline. It operates a fleet of planes that fly to various destinations such as New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Orlando, Boston, Sa

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Francisco, Washington, Dallas, and Tokyo. Since 1985, Branson has been actively pursuing multiple world records in land and air speed as well as distance. One notable achievement was in 1986 when he set the fastest recorded time crossing the Atlantic Ocean with his boat called Virgin Atlantic Challenger II.

One year later, the "Virgin Atlantic Flyer" accomplished the pioneering feat of crossing the Atlantic Ocean in a hot air balloon. It holds the distinction of being the largest balloon ever flown, with a capacity of 2.3 million cubic feet and speeds surpassing 130 mph. In 1991, Branson achieved another milestone by traversing the Pacific Ocean from Japan to Arctic Canada in a balloon measuring 2.6 million cubic feet and attaining speeds as fast as 245 mph.

Richard Branson has appeared on various TV shows such as "Friends", "Baywatch", and "Only Fools and Horses" where he portrayed himself. He also stars in his own show called "The Rebel Billionaire". Alongside his business endeavors, Branson is a trustee for different charitable organizations, including The Healthcare Foundation. In 1999, he was knighted by the Queen and granted the title Sir Richard Branson to acknowledge his entrepreneurial abilities and dedication to British principles. He resides in London and Oxfordshire with his spouse and two children.

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