sir Richard Charles Branson
CEO
Business and management
Furys Wash LLC
United States of America
Biography
Sir Richard Charles Branson was born in Surrey, England in 1950. Dyslexic and saddled with poor academic performance, he nonetheless attempted two ventures at age 15: growing Christmas trees and raising budgerigars. Both ventures failed. He didn't have to wait long for his first successful venture, though, which came at age sixteen when he launched Student magazine. In 1970, at age 20, he set up a mail-order business record. The following year, he opened a now famous chain of record stores, Virgin records, later known as Virgin Megastores. Thanks to his competitive style, Branson's Virgin brand grew rapidly through the 1980's, as he opened Virgin Atlantic Airways in 1984 and developed the Virgin Records music label. The record company's first release was Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells, which was a best-seller and topped the charts worldwide in 1973. With the same flair, Branson signed scandalous band Sex Pistols, which other major labels had refused to sign.
Research Interest
Business and management
