Richard Branson’s story
Having started Virgin as a mail order record retailer in 1970, Richard founded Virgin Records. After the first Virgin artist, Mike Oldfield, released ‘Tubular Bells’, Virgin Records went on to sign household names from the Sex Pistols to The Rolling Stones. There are now more than 40 Virgin companies worldwide in over 35 countries.
Richard 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 Channel. He has described Virgin Galactic, the world’s first commercial spaceline, as being “the greatest adventure of all”. Richard has over 40 million followers on social media and he blogs regularly on issues ranging from entrepreneurship to the environment and adventure to purpose.
Since starting youth culture magazine Student aged 15, Richard has found entrepreneurial ways to drive positive change in the world. In 2004 Richard established Virgin Unite, the non-profit 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 organisations it has incubated, such as The Elders, The B Team, Ocean Unite (which merged into ORRAA) and the Planetary Guardians.
Richard is available for a select number of speaking engagements per year around the world. All funds raised from Richard's speaking engagements go to Virgin Unite - the entrepreneurial foundation of the Virgin Group - and advocacy causes striving to make business a force for good.
