Richard Branson: Life at 30,000 feet

Richard Branson is the definition of the serial entrepreneur - but what I love is that while he keeps launching businesses he doesn't just sell them off and move on - he continues to build his portfolio of companies. I also love that he is a dreamed - as evidenced by Virgin Galactic - one of the 1st space tourism companies! Richard Branson's companies employ 55,000 people with revenues of $25 Billion. He has obviously become quite rich but has also given back by providing so many employment opportunities to others (see list below). Enjoy this interview with "Sir Richard."

Richard Branson talks to TED's Chris Anderson about the ups and the downs of his career, from his multibillionaire success to his multiple near-death experiences -- and reveals some of his (very surprising) motivations.



Virgin brands (under various ownership)
(source: wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_Group)
AirAsia X — long-haul budget airline operating from Malaysia (20% owned by Virgin Group)
Oüı FM — rock radio station in France and Asia
V Festival — two-day music festival held in two separate locations in the United Kingdom
V Festival (Australia) — an Australian version of the V Festival
Virgin Festival — a North American version of the V Festival
Virgin Active — a health club chain in South Africa, Spain, Portugal, Italy and the UK
Virgin America — a United States budget airline based at San Francisco International Airport
Virgin Atlantic Airways — an international carrier based at Heathrow Airport, London
Virgin Balloon Flights — a hot air balloon operator
Virgin Blue — an Australian-based airline operating in the South Pacific
Blue Holidays — The holiday program of Virgin Blue, now a joint venture between Virgin Blue and Zuji
Pacific Blue — a Virgin Blue subsidiary based in New Zealand
Polynesian Blue — a Virgin Blue subsidiary based in Samoa
V Australia — a planned Virgin Blue international subsidiary set to offer flights between Australia and the USA
Virgin Books — publisher, retailer and distributor of books
Virgin Brides — bridal wear shop in Manchester, UK
Virgin Charter — a private jet online marketplace
Virgin Comics — comic book producer
Virgin Drinks — drink manufacturer
Virgin Cola — carbonated cola soft drink
Virgin Vodka — alcoholic beverage
Virgin Experience Days — corporate and consumer experience events
Virgin Flowers — Internet florist
Virgin Galactic — a venture to market and operate commercial space flights, using spacecraft designed by Scaled Composites
Virgin Games — online games and gambling
Virgin Green Fund (originally known as Virgin Fuels) — venture capital firm for investing in petroleum alternatives
Virgin Health Bank[2] — a business enabling parents—to—be to store their baby's stem cells
Virgin HealthMiles
Virgin Holidays — UK travel agency and tour operator for worldwide destinations served by Virgin Atlantic and its partner companies
Virgin Holidays Cruises — UK cruise holiday agent
Virgin Limited Edition — exclusive hotel operator
Kasbah Tamadot — exclusive Moroccan holiday destination
Lady B — luxurious Catamaran available for Caribbean charters
The Lodge — ski lodge
Natirar — private spa located in Somerset County, New Jersey
Necker Island — exclusive island in British Virgin Islands for private hire
The Roof Gardens and Babylon — 1.5 acres (6,100 m2) open air gardens, venue, nightclub and restaurant in Kensington, London
Ulusaba — exclusive game reserve in South Africa
Virgin Limobike — passenger bike service in London
Virgin Limousines — chauffeured limousine service in San Francisco and Northern California
Virgin Media — provider or home telephone, cable television, broadband and mobile services to the United Kingdom
Virgin Media Television — a British television network, made up of Virgin 1, Trouble, Bravo, Living TV & 50% stake in UKTV
Virgin 1 — a general entertainment channel on Freeview, Virgin Media and Sky Digital
Virgin Mobile — brand used by several companies providing mobile phone service around the world
Virgin Mobile UK — provides mobile phone service in the United Kingdom, now part of Virgin Media
Virgin Mobile Australia — provider of mobile phone service in Australia
Virgin Mobile Canada — provider of mobile phone service in Canada
Virgin Mobile South Africa — provider of mobile phone service in South Africa
Virgin Mobile USA — provider of mobile phone service in the United States
Virgin Mobile France — provider of mobile phone service in France
Virgin Mobile India — provider of mobile phone service in India
Virgin Money — providers of financial services
Virgin Credit Card
Virgin Nigeria — international, regional and domestic Nigerian airline
Virgin Play — a Spanish publisher of video games, once part of the now defunct Virgin Interactive.
Virgin Radio — Virgin branded radio stations around the world.
Virgin Radio Asia — collection of station operating in India and Thailand including Virgin Soft, Hitz, Easy FM and Oui
Virgin 99.9FM - a Canadian radio station, broadcasting a hot adult contemporary format at 99.9 on the FM dial in Toronto, Ontario. The station is owned by Astral Media. Formerly branded as 99.9 Mix FM, it adopted its current brand on 2008-08-25, pursuant to a licence from the Virgin Group.
Virgin Radio (France) — -(Lagardère Active) a rebranding of the "Europe 2" radio station
Virgin Radio Groove — (TIML Golden Square Limited) soul, motown and disco music station broadcast on DAB, internet and Satellite TV
Virgin Radio Italia — (Finelco) An Italian radio station
Virgin Records — record label now owned by EMI
Virgin Spa — shop chain retailing Virgin Cosmetics product
Virgin Trains — a railway operator in the United Kingdom
Virgin Unite — charitable foundation
Virgin Vacations — U.S. travel agency
Virgin Vie At Home — retailer of body care, cosmetics, homeware and jewellery products through the Internet, direct selling and Virgin Vie stores
Virgin Vines — A Californian—based company, created in 2005 and producer of Red and White wines
Virgin Voucher — gift voucher scheme, also functions as a staff reward scheme
Virgin Ware — clothes brand and retailer

Richard Branson: Life at 30,000 feet