Richard Branson : A man with Vision
Can you name a person who has started his business journey as a partner in a record shop and within a span of 42 years, He is among the top 10 richest people, business so diversified ranging from mobile to space shuttle service ferrying enthusiasts in space besides. Yes, you guessed right he is Richard Branson. As a music lover I knew him as owner of Virgin Records and who is responsible in grooming career of iconic groups and singers such as Sex Pistols, Janet Jackson. It was my pleasant surprise, last year when I took Virgin Atlantic flight from Seattle , security demo was displayed on my personal screen where Branson himself addressing the guests !
This is another story that the company he built with passion and hard work, sold it to Thorn EMI for just $ 1 Billion just to fund his airlines initiative Virgin Atlantic.
Branson founded Virgin Records in 1972 with three other partners, growing the label from a small successful record shop into a powerhouse of Music, helping usher in the progressive rock movement of the 1970s and new wave in the 1980s. Branson said on this issue
"Of course, it was very hard - it's like selling your children," Branson shared with Reuters at 40th anniversary of the sale of Virgin Records. …you build something from scratch, we had just signed Janet Jackson, we had just signed the Rolling Stones when we sold it, and I remember running down Ladbroke Grove, tears streaming down my face with the check for a billion dollars,"
In 1984, Virgin started to diversify with Virgin Atlantic Airways. After Airlines Virgin’s foray into mobile business in 1999 further catapulted business further and Virgin Blue (now called Virgin Australia) in 2000. Branson was ranked 9th in the Sunday Times Rich List of 2006 with a net worth of more than £3 billion. Before the launch of Virgin Mobiles, Branson decided to expand into the railway industry, which is considered to be a risky venture by many. Virgin Trains also got the franchises for Cross-Country sections of the British Rail as well as the Intercity West Coast. Virgin Group also acquired the Euro Belgian Airlines, which was called Virgin Express. It also started a national airline in Nigeria by the name of Virgin Nigeria. Virgin America, another airline began in August 2007. There were certain set backs and failures also. A less successful brand of Virgin Group was Virgin Vodka and Virgin Cola.
Virgin Group now comprises of 400 companies in more than 30 countries. Richard Branson is also known for his world record breaking attempts out of which he succeeded in crossing the Atlantic in his Virgin Atlantic Challenger II in 1986 and the Atlantic and Pacific crossing in a hot-air balloon in 1987 and 1991 respectively. He was knighted in 1999 for his immense contribution to the world of business.
The 40th anniversary of Virgin Records is being marked at an exhibition in London's Victoria House, which features photography, clothes, album covers and memorabilia from the label's most influential acts. Branson gave the interview in a room mocked up to look like the Notting Hill branch of Virgin Records in the late 1970s.
While Virgin Records laid its roots in Britain's burgeoning rock scene, it widened its portfolio to represent a variety of artists spanning musical genres, such as R&B star Mariah Carey, pop band Spice Girls and French electro-dance duo Daft Punk.
Branson, who thinks of himself as a "hippie at heart," credited cantankerous British punk band the Sex Pistols with helping Virgin Records gain its footing in the industry and take on other music labels delving into the Brit punk genre.
"I think the Sex Pistols put Virgin on the map," he said. "They only made one album ... but it firmly established Virgin as a brand, a slightly risqué brand, but as a brand."
The long-haired maverick entrepreneur has become one of the world's most recognizable businessmen, and is also known for his other ventures in deep-sea submarines, an effort to circumvent the globe in a hot air balloon, and suborbital space travel with Virgin Galactic.
'SEX PISTOLS PUT VIRGIN ON MAP'
The risqué image of Virgin Records helped draw in some of music's biggest acts, such as Janet Jackson and the Stones, Branson said.
"A lot of big established bands had signed with Virgin, because Branson and his team was reasonably good at marketing and getting out there, making noise about things, making noise about the bands signed with them.and putting them on the map," Branson said.
"I think most of the bands that signed with Virgin were pretty happy and we managed to turn them into major stars."said he.
Recently, Richards Space journey in initiative met a big jolt when a Virgin Galactic spacecraft crashed after an explosion during a test flight over the Mojave desert, killing one of the pilots, seriously injuring another and leaving debris scattered over a wide area.The plane, Space Ship Tow, was undertaking a test flight as part of Richard Branson’s plans for commercial space travel when a “serious anomaly” occurred, the company said. Branson was on his way to the Mojave base on Saturday in the wake of the crash.
Witnesses reported the spacecraft broke apart soon after it was detached from the launch plane that carries it to 45,000ft. Rescuers found one of the pilots dead on the ground. The other, who appeared to have deployed an emergency parachute, was airlifted to a hospital with serious injuries. This accident stirred Branson but not shaken, he is ready to met the challenge once again.
Branson’s name cropped up recently when he announced his entry back into motor racing as part of the new Formula E electric car championship.The entrepreneur is putting a team together to take part in the inaugural 10-race championship starting in Beijing next September and ending in London in June 2015. Formula E is described as a fully digital sport that aims to improve the image of electric cars and spark innovation in the industry.
His idea of running business is simple, in his own words : “You get the idea. Every business, like a painting, operates according to its own rules. There are many ways to run a successful company. What works once may never work again. What everyone tells you never to do may just work, once. There are no rules. You don't learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over, and it's because you fall over that you learn to save yourself from falling over. It's the greatest thrill in the world and it runs away screaming at the first sight of bullet points.”
Branson founded Virgin Records in 1972 with three other partners, growing the label from a small successful record shop into a powerhouse of Music, helping usher in the progressive rock movement of the 1970s and new wave in the 1980s. Branson said on this issue
"Of course, it was very hard - it's like selling your children," Branson shared with Reuters at 40th anniversary of the sale of Virgin Records. …you build something from scratch, we had just signed Janet Jackson, we had just signed the Rolling Stones when we sold it, and I remember running down Ladbroke Grove, tears streaming down my face with the check for a billion dollars,"
In 1984, Virgin started to diversify with Virgin Atlantic Airways. After Airlines Virgin’s foray into mobile business in 1999 further catapulted business further and Virgin Blue (now called Virgin Australia) in 2000. Branson was ranked 9th in the Sunday Times Rich List of 2006 with a net worth of more than £3 billion. Before the launch of Virgin Mobiles, Branson decided to expand into the railway industry, which is considered to be a risky venture by many. Virgin Trains also got the franchises for Cross-Country sections of the British Rail as well as the Intercity West Coast. Virgin Group also acquired the Euro Belgian Airlines, which was called Virgin Express. It also started a national airline in Nigeria by the name of Virgin Nigeria. Virgin America, another airline began in August 2007. There were certain set backs and failures also. A less successful brand of Virgin Group was Virgin Vodka and Virgin Cola.
Virgin Group now comprises of 400 companies in more than 30 countries. Richard Branson is also known for his world record breaking attempts out of which he succeeded in crossing the Atlantic in his Virgin Atlantic Challenger II in 1986 and the Atlantic and Pacific crossing in a hot-air balloon in 1987 and 1991 respectively. He was knighted in 1999 for his immense contribution to the world of business.
The 40th anniversary of Virgin Records is being marked at an exhibition in London's Victoria House, which features photography, clothes, album covers and memorabilia from the label's most influential acts. Branson gave the interview in a room mocked up to look like the Notting Hill branch of Virgin Records in the late 1970s.
While Virgin Records laid its roots in Britain's burgeoning rock scene, it widened its portfolio to represent a variety of artists spanning musical genres, such as R&B star Mariah Carey, pop band Spice Girls and French electro-dance duo Daft Punk.
Branson, who thinks of himself as a "hippie at heart," credited cantankerous British punk band the Sex Pistols with helping Virgin Records gain its footing in the industry and take on other music labels delving into the Brit punk genre.
"I think the Sex Pistols put Virgin on the map," he said. "They only made one album ... but it firmly established Virgin as a brand, a slightly risqué brand, but as a brand."
The long-haired maverick entrepreneur has become one of the world's most recognizable businessmen, and is also known for his other ventures in deep-sea submarines, an effort to circumvent the globe in a hot air balloon, and suborbital space travel with Virgin Galactic.
'SEX PISTOLS PUT VIRGIN ON MAP'
The risqué image of Virgin Records helped draw in some of music's biggest acts, such as Janet Jackson and the Stones, Branson said.
"A lot of big established bands had signed with Virgin, because Branson and his team was reasonably good at marketing and getting out there, making noise about things, making noise about the bands signed with them.and putting them on the map," Branson said.
"I think most of the bands that signed with Virgin were pretty happy and we managed to turn them into major stars."said he.
Recently, Richards Space journey in initiative met a big jolt when a Virgin Galactic spacecraft crashed after an explosion during a test flight over the Mojave desert, killing one of the pilots, seriously injuring another and leaving debris scattered over a wide area.The plane, Space Ship Tow, was undertaking a test flight as part of Richard Branson’s plans for commercial space travel when a “serious anomaly” occurred, the company said. Branson was on his way to the Mojave base on Saturday in the wake of the crash.
Witnesses reported the spacecraft broke apart soon after it was detached from the launch plane that carries it to 45,000ft. Rescuers found one of the pilots dead on the ground. The other, who appeared to have deployed an emergency parachute, was airlifted to a hospital with serious injuries. This accident stirred Branson but not shaken, he is ready to met the challenge once again.
Branson’s name cropped up recently when he announced his entry back into motor racing as part of the new Formula E electric car championship.The entrepreneur is putting a team together to take part in the inaugural 10-race championship starting in Beijing next September and ending in London in June 2015. Formula E is described as a fully digital sport that aims to improve the image of electric cars and spark innovation in the industry.
His idea of running business is simple, in his own words : “You get the idea. Every business, like a painting, operates according to its own rules. There are many ways to run a successful company. What works once may never work again. What everyone tells you never to do may just work, once. There are no rules. You don't learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over, and it's because you fall over that you learn to save yourself from falling over. It's the greatest thrill in the world and it runs away screaming at the first sight of bullet points.”
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