|
Richard Branson
1950 –
Executive, Virgin
Nationality: British.
Born: July 18, 1950, in Shamley Green, Surrey, England.
Education: Attended Stowe School, 1964–1967.
Family: Son of Edward (barrister) and Eva Huntley-Flindt (dancer
and flight attendant) Branson; married Kristen Tomassi, 1972
(divorced 1979); married Joan Templeman, 1989; children: two.
Career: Student, 1966–1970, editor; Virgin, 1970–, executive.
Awards: Knighthood, Queen Elizabeth II, 2000.
Publications: Losing My Virginity 1998.
Address: 120 Campden Hill Road, London, United Kingdom, W8 7AR;
http://www.virgin.com.
Richard Branson founded Virgin, a loosely knit family of more
than two hundred companies, as a mail-order record business in
1970. As CEO or majority shareholder, he developed successful
ventures in music, air travel, financial services, retail
marketing, telecommunications, and other fields. Branson's
idiosyncratic approach to business and his risk-taking personal
life made him a British folk hero as well as one of his nation's
wealthiest men. Under Branson's supervision the Virgin group
fostered creativity among its employees and allowed the Virgin
brand to evolve and diversify with the marketplace.
Teenage Entrepeneur
Branson overcame dyslexia as a child and began to show his
entrepreneurial talents early. Born into a middle-class English
family, he displayed both a natural intelligence and a
competitive spirit on the playing field. His first business
ventures included growing Christmas trees and breeding birds. As
he reported in his autobiography, "Losing My Virginity," chafing
under authority Branson left boarding school at age 16. At the
time his headmaster reportedly told him, "Branson, I predict
that you will either go to prison or become a millionaire."
In 1966 Branson launched Student, a youth-oriented magazine. As
the editor Branson interviewed John Lennon, Mick Jagger, Vanessa
Redgrave, and other celebrities. He also started the Student
Advisory Center, a nonprofit referral service for troubled
youth. In 1970 local authorities charged the center with
obscenity for using the words "venereal disease" in its
promotional material. Branson was successful in getting the
charges dropped, setting a precedent for his future battles with
authority.
After selling Student to a larger company in 1970, Branson
started a mail-order record company, Virgin Mail. The following
year he opened a retail store, which by 1972 had become a chain
of 14 shops around the United Kingdom. Charged with evading
purchase taxes on import record sales, Branson escaped
prosecution by paying an out-of-court settlement. Saddled with
$90,000 in fines and debts, a sobered Branson expanded his chain
of stores and purchased a small castle in Wales, turning it into
a recording studio. His next project was to launch a record
company of his own. With his cousin Simon Draper as the creative
director and Nik Powell as the business manager, Branson
inaugurated Virgin Records in 1973. Among the label's first
releases was Mike Oldfield's album Tubular Bells, which topped
the U.S. charts in 1974 and sold more than 13 million copies.
Virgin had suddenly become one of the most successful
independent record companies in the United Kingdom. Despite his
image as a "hippie capitalist" dabbling in business, Branson
proved an astute negotiator from the start, signing his artists
to long contracts, acquiring worldwide rights to recordings, and
owning copyrights for as long as possible.
Risky Ventures and Daring Exploits
After its impressive start Virgin Records entered a stagnant
period in the mid-1970s. Branson failed to sign such established
acts as the Rolling Stones and had to rely on Oldfield's sales
to keep the label profitable. Matters did not begin to improve
until Virgin signed the Sex Pistols in 1977. Undaunted by the
punk band's controversial image Branson sold 100,000 copies of
the single "God Save the Queen" in one week. Virgin did not pull
out of the doldrums until it released Culture Club's debut album
in 1982. The phenomenal popularity of the lead singer Boy George
helped the band to sell 1.4 million albums in the United Kingdom
the following year. Hit albums and singles from Phil Collins and
the Human League also did well for Virgin. The label quadrupled
its size in four years. Branson used his earnings to launch a
Virgin American record label and to invest in new ventures,
including Virgin Vision (a film and video distribution company),
Virgin Games (a computer games publisher), Virgin Rags (a
clothing line), Vanson Property (a property development
company), and several London-area nightclubs.
In February 1984 Branson was approached by the American attorney
Randolph Fields with an offer to invest in a new transatlantic
airline. Despite the objections of his business partners,
Branson was immediately intrigued by the possibility. Rather
than adopt Fields's initial idea of an all-businessclass
airline, Branson envisioned a low-cost carrier that would
compete with People Express. The decision to pursue the project
caused ill feelings with Draper and other Virgin staff members
and met with disfavor with Branson's bankers. It was something
of a personal triumph for Branson when, on June 22, 1984,
Virgin-Atlantic Airways embarked on its maiden flight between
London's Gatwick Airport and Newark, New Jersey. From a single
leased aircraft Virgin-Atlantic slowly grew during the 1980s,
adding routes to Los Angeles and Tokyo while seeking access to
London's Heathrow Airport. Branson emphasized his company's
commitment to service by talking with customers during flights.
He was even known to dress as a flight attendant and serve
refreshments.
To help promote the airline Branson began to raise his media
profile by performing promotional stunts and feats of daring. In
1985 he was rescued off the coast of Ireland when his powerboat
Virgin Atlantic Challenger crashed during an attempt to break
the transatlantic speed record. A year later Branson succeeded
in breaking the record with Virgin Atlantic Challenger II. In
1987 Branson set out with the aeronaut Per Lindstrand on a
transatlantic hot-air balloon trip, crashing into the Irish Sea
after making it across the ocean. The pair completed the first
successful transpacific hot-air balloon ride in 1991, although
they ended the trip stranded on a frozen Canadian lake before
being rescued. Such death-defying adventures won Virgin
invaluable publicity and emphasized Branson's image as a
fearless risk taker.
Not all of Branson's corporate moves turned out as he had hoped.
In 1985 Branson took Virgin public, attracting 100,000
applications for shares. While he gained greater financial
stability, Branson disliked the restraints of working with a
board of directors. "Previously, I had always felt confident
about any decision we made, but now that Virgin was a publicly
quoted company, I began to lose faith in myself," he recalled.
"I felt uneasy about making the rapid decisions I had always
made and wondered whether every decision should be formally
ratified and minuted at a board meeting." Branson fought with
the board over paying out large dividends rather than
reinvesting profits in new projects, as Virgin had previously
done. The October 1987 stock market crash helped to convince
Branson to buy back his company. He announced Virgin's
management buyout in July 1988 and began to seek investors,
including the British retailer W. H. Smith and the Japanese
media company Fujisankei, for joint ventures. These
relationships were especially important in establishing a chain
of Virgin Megastores, which were devoted to music as well as
other Virgin consumer items, across Europe, North America, and
Japan. Also in 1988 Branson launched Virgin Hotels and a new
music division, Virgin Classics.
Unique Corporate Structure and Freewheeling Style
By the late 1980s Virgin's unorthodox corporate structure was
well established. Behind the Virgin logo was a constantly
multiplying array of wholly owned subsidiaries and outside
partnerships, Branson always maintaining a controlling interest.
Each business remained independent though linked to others with
similar concerns. "Outside accountants would immediately look at
our 200 buildings, 200 switchboards, and all that comes with
them and say, 'You're bleeding money'," Branson told Betsy
Morris in an interview for Fortune. "But I say, 'Look at what
you get!' People who have worked for small companies and then
big companies will tell you that it's not as much fun. In a
small company, you can create a different kind of energy. People
feel cared for."
Branson oversaw his operations from his residences in London's
Holland Park and on Necker Island in the Caribbean. In most
cases he supervised each business's startup phase, delegated
management, and stepped back in only as a troubleshooter. An
exception was Virgin's airline and travel businesses, of which
Branson remained CEO. Branson kept informal lines of
communication open even as his roster of companies kept growing.
"We don't have formal meetings," he told David Sheff of Forbes.
"People who leave companies with formal structures don't leave
because of salaries. If they come up with a good idea, they're
told to wait until the next meeting…. With Virgin, we make
decisions on the phone. If you've got a good idea and I like it,
you can get on with it." Branson prided himself on treating his
employees well. During one difficult financial period he was
able to persuade some staff members to take sabbaticals to avoid
layoffs. He was known for recognizing talent at any level within
the Virgin ranks. In 1996, for instance, he promoted a
Virgin-Atlantic flight attendant to run Virgin Bride, the
largest bridal shop in Europe. Branson became known for dropping
in on employees and writing down their comments about Virgin's
problems in a small notebook he kept with him at all times. The
notebook remained with Branson even as others adopted laptop
computers and personal digital assistants—Branson never embraced
computer technology.
Lacking conventional business school training, or even a high
school diploma, Branson continued to make huge financial
decisions according to his own whimsical methods. "In the same
way that I tend to make up my mind about people within thirty
seconds of meeting them, I also make up my mind about a business
proposal within thirty seconds and whether it excites me," he
wrote in Losing My Virginity. "I rely far more on gut instinct
than researching huge amounts of statistics." This approach was
criticized by members of his own staff, according to Des
Dearlove's book Business the Richard Branson Way. Some employees
referred to Branson's method of trusting his own instincts
without conducting further market research as "VSO," or
"Virgin's system of one."
Perhaps Branson's most radical achievement was to make his own
freewheeling, antiestablishment personality synonymous with the
Virgin brand. Whatever caught his eye, whether it was a punk
band, an airline, or a line of cosmetics, Branson marketed with
style and playfulness. The challenge of entering a new field
became part of the game and only added to the Virgin mystique.
Assessing Branson's goals and methods for Forbes, Betsy Morris
wrote, "Branson likes being a disruptor—taking on industries
that charge too much (music) or hold consumers hostage
(cellular) or treat them badly and bore them to tears
(airlines). His goal was never to be the most profitable."
Branson said much the same thing in Losing My Virginity, noting,
"First and foremost, any business proposal I like must sound
fun. If market is served by only two giant corporations, it
appears to me that there's room for some healthy competition…. I
love giving big companies a run for their money—especially if
they're offering expensive, poor-quality products."
Vindication and Expansion in the 1990s
Virgin-Atlantic became Branson's chief personal focus during the
1990s. In July 1991 he reached his key goal of expanding service
to London's Heathrow Airport. This achievement was a signal
victory in Branson's bitter struggle with British Airways, which
had sought to block Virgin-Atlantic's growth through political
influence and underhanded tactics. Among the latter was the
establishment of an espionage unit to spy on Branson and harass
Virgin customers in person and by telephone. Lord King, the
British Airways chairman, spread rumors that his competitor was
about to go bankrupt. Virgin's chronic cash flow problems lent
credence to these stories. In 1992 Branson made the painful
decision to sell Virgin Music Group to Thorn-EMI for
approximately $1 billion to keep Virgin-Atlantic aloft. The sale
brought Branson immense personal wealth and enabled him to
upgrade his airline with such luxuries as seat-back video
screens, full-sized sleeper seats, in-flight massages and
manicures, and free ground transportation by limousine.
Virgin-Atlantic's problems with lenders and overdrafts
continued, however, as did the ongoing battle with British
Airways. The British press wondered whether Branson had finally
taken on a battle he could not win. An editorial in the London,
England, Sunday Telegraph wondered whether Branson was "too old
to rock 'n' roll, too young to fly" (March 15, 1992). Branson
fought back, casting himself as an upstart David against a
greedy Goliath. He continued to accuse British Airways of
unethical tactics, prompting Lord King to question Branson's
truthfulness publicly. Branson sued British Airways for libel in
December 1992, and British Airways offered the highest
uncontested libel payment (£610,000) in British history. Branson
shared the settlement with the Virgin-Atlantic staff. The court
victory marked a turning point for the airline. By the end of
the 1990s it had become the third-largest European carrier and
the most profitable company in the Virgin group.
Branson emerged from his fight with British Airways an immensely
popular figure. A May 1993 survey conducted by TSB ranked
Branson the number one role model for Britain's young people. In
the mid-1990s Branson branched out with joint ventures as
diverse as financial services (Virgin Direct), Internet services
(Virgin Net), spirits (Virgin Vodka), and soft drinks (Virgin
Cola). Some companies fared better than others. Virgin Trains,
Branson's British express rail franchise, gained a reputation
for poor service. An attempt with the television personality
David Frost to take over the independent U.K. television network
ITV was halted by the British government. Despite stumbles
Branson's empire kept growing, partnering with Malaysia Airlines
to expand Virgin-Atlantic into Southeast Asia and Australia and
entering into an agreement with the copy shop giant Kinko's to
open locations in Britain and France. Branson remained a
presence in the pop music world, creating a new music label, V2
Records while remaining nonexecutive president of the EMI-owned
Virgin Music Group. In November 1997 Virgin Music Group oversaw
the production of the commemorative album Diana, Princess of
Wales Tribute, which raised more than $100 million for charity.
By 1998 Branson's golden touch showed signs of fading. Except
for Virgin-Atlantic most of the Virgin corporate family was
floundering. Virgin Vodka was withdrawn, and Virgin Cola
struggled to find a market. Publicly traded companies such as
the Brussels-based airline Virgin Express and the U.K. clothing
retailer Victory Corporation did poorly on the stock market.
Critics wondered whether the middle-aged Branson could continue
to play the role of the brash outsider to a younger generation
of consumers. Branson responded by cutting his losses with some
companies and launching new ones. In 1999 Virgin Cinemas sold
its U.K. theaters to a French company for £215 million. Also in
1999 Branson sold 49 percent interest in Virgin-Atlantic to
Singapore Airlines for $960 million, reportedly to help finance
weaker Virgin companies. He also hired a new strategy chief,
Gordon McCallum, to bring greater discipline and focus to
marketing the Virgin brand overall.
Branson took a financial beating, according to some estimates
having lost more than half of his personal fortune by 2001. (His
net worth was estimated by his financial advisers to be $2.6
billion in 2003.) Branson continued, however, to dream up new
ventures, including a chain of U.K. health and fitness clubs
(Virgin Active) and an online music service (Virgin Digital).
One project, Virginstudent.com, was a youth-oriented Web site
that recalled Branson's Student days. In interviews Branson
dismissed talk that the Virgin brand had become overextended.
"That's been said for about 30 years," he told Gyles Bandreth of
the Sunday Telegraph. "I'm not somebody who believes in money
sitting on deposit in bank accounts. When I make money I
reinvest it straight away in new ventures. We're Britain's
largest group of private companies. Last year we turned over
about £3 billion. In three years time I expect that to be £6
billion" (February 25, 2001).
During the period of retrenchment Branson remained a
high-profile spokesman for the Virgin group. His stature as one
of the world's most famous and influential businessmen appeared
to survive his setbacks. Branson became Sir Richard when he was
knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2000. He continued to champion
causes such as his ultimately unsuccessful campaign in 2003 to
save the Concorde aircraft. In March 2004 Branson signed a
contract with Fox Television to star in his own reality series
involving several aspiring billionaires sharing adventures with
him around the world. Well into his third decade as an
entrepreneur Branson continued to blur the line between business
and pleasure, money making and gamesmanship. "He's not driven
like other people. He's driven to do stuff," the Virgin
executive Tom Alexander told Betsy Morris for Forbes. "The money
is the byproduct. If it makes money, well, then great, because
then he can go off and do more stuff. Doing nothing is not an
option. If you've ever been on holiday with him, it's hard
work."
~~~<"((((((><~~~<"((((((><~~~<"((((((><~~~<"((((((><~~~<"((((((><~~~
Charismatic entrepreneur Richard Branson (born 1950) became well
known when his daredevil business tactics were upstaged by his
death defying antics as a sportsman.
Founder and mastermind of the Virgin business enterprise,
Richard Branson hewed a reputation as one of the most popular
personalities in all of England. The charismatic Branson
attracted crowds and media attention everywhere, not only in the
course of his business exploits but also for his adventurous
lifestyle. At the height of his popularity, Branson's name was
touted for prime minister, and even monarch, of his native
Britain. Tongue-and-cheek aside, Branson's financial escapades
were serious business, and his adventurous personal nature
projected an aura that seemed larger than life.
Richard Branson was born on July 18, 1950 into a middle class
family in the English county of Surrey. Branson was the oldest
of three siblings. His father, Edward (Ted) Branson was an
attorney, in the tradition of the Branson family ancestry. Most
agree that Branson inherited his Nordic looks as well as his
adventurous spirit from his mother, Eve Branson, a one-time
dancer and actress, and a former flight attendant. So energetic
and spirited was Eve Branson, that she learned to fly gliders at
a time when few women drove cars. She flew so well, in fact,
that she trained with the Royal Air Force (RAF) cadets for duty
during the Second World War. The Branson children were raised to
be hearty, active, and brave.
Richard Branson was not adventurous by nature. Out of concern,
his mother left him alone in the countryside one day, with
instructions to find his own way home through the fields of
Devon. Branson was only four at the time, and a neighboring
farmer eventually discovered the boy and alerted the Bransons to
retrieve their son. Young Richard, who spent that day chasing
butterflies, was enamored by the exhilaration of freedom at such
a young age. Years later, when his parents enrolled him at Stowe
boarding school in Buckingham, he found the environment too
restrictive. He dropped out of high school and moved to London,
where he made his living as a publisher and later opened a
retail record business.
A Young Entrepreneur
After Branson arrived in London in 1967, at the age of 17, he
undertook his first business venture. He published a magazine
called Student, for young activists. The first issue was
published in January 1968, and reached a printing of 100,000
copies at the peak of its popularity. Student was an excellent
business vehicle, and resulted in a positive business experience
for Branson.
Branson started his second business in 1970, a mail-order retail
record company called Virgin Mail. The unfortunate occurrence of
a British postal strike in 1971 forced Branson to realign his
fledgling record company from a mail-order supplier into a
successful discount record retailer in London. Branson's initial
ventures into capitalism were encouraging, but generated "red
ink" at the onset. As Branson saw his business debt swell to
approximately $20,000 he devised an illicit pseudo-export scam
that allowed him to evade the tax payments on his merchandise.
For a time he eluded the authorities but was eventually brought
to justice and to jail. It cost him (and his mother) $45,000 in
bail to secure his freedom. In time and with perseverance he
worked his way out of accrued business debts of $90,000,
including fines and back taxes owed to the government.
Virgin Records
In 1973, Branson expanded his business interests and established
Virgin Records in part to provide a recording vehicle for a
talented friend, Mike Oldfield. Through the new Virgin Records
enterprise, Oldfield recorded an album featuring the tune
"Tubular Bells," and the record became the soundtrack for the
classic horror movie, The Exorcist.
In 1977, Branson signed the Sex Pistols to Virgin Records, a
shrewd business move that plunged the small recording company
into the mainstream of the punk rock era. Censors from radio and
other media immediately banned one of the Sex Pistols earliest
hits with Virgin Records, an irreverent tune called "God Save
the Queen." The Sex Pistols, determined to make their music
heard, retaliated with a "free concert" on the Thames River that
resulted in 100,000 in record sales within one week. Following
the scandalous success of the Sex Pistols, Virgin Records easily
attracted a variety of the most popular artists of the times,
including Boy George and the Culture Club, who sold 1.4 million
records in the U.K. in 1983. Branson went on to sign contracts
with singers and guitarists including Peter Gabriel, Phil
Collins, Janet Jackson, and the Rolling Stones. By 1983,
Branson's Virgin empire included 50 diverse companies.
In keeping with his radical business ethic, Branson established
an international airline in June 1984, with a single leased
airplane. The airline, Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited, survived
the threat of foreclosure and in time grew into the world's
third-largest transatlantic carrier.
Secrets of Success
Virgin enterprises are a conglomeration of wholly owned
subsidiaries and outside partnerships. Branson maintains a
controlling interest in every company that he starts. Virgin
interests include retail stores, a travel group, an
entertainment group, a hotel enterprise, financial services,
cinemas, radio stations, and Virgin European Airways. Branson
runs the empire from the old villa where he lives with his
family in London's Holland Park. Each business is a separate
venture. He oversees each startup company, then delegates
management and moves on. Branson relies on creative investment
schemes and extremely private holdings. He retains control as
CEO of his travel ventures, even as he acquires capital for his
railway system venture. Branson strategically keeps each company
small and controllable, despite the conglomerate structure, and
operates each enterprise as an individual small business. His
companies offer employees a pleasant work environment and the
renegade Branson eschews computers; informal communication is
the hallmark of the Virgin regime. The personal needs of
employees take precedence, and even at times of dire financial
straits, Branson humanely sidesteps layoffs.
Virgin Travel Interests
In 1992, after 22 years at the helm, Branson reluctantly sold
his Virgin Music Group to Thorn-EMI for a sum near one billion
dollars. He made the sacrifice in the interests of Virgin
Airlines which was in a state of financial disaster. Branson
used the money in part to upgrade the airline with new amenities
and services including seat-back videos, complimentary headsets,
toiletries, stand-up bars, full-sized sleeper seats; luxury
services such as masseuses, manicure, and free ground
transportation by limousine were also introduced. British
Airways, number one competitor to Virgin Atlantic, resorted to
unduly aggressive competition against Branson's business savvy.
In January 1993, Branson won a judgment of nearly one million
dollars in a suit against British Airways for unfair
competition.
Traditional investors fail to comprehend Branson's privately
held Virgin resources that comprise an intricate web of trusts
and holding companies which span the Atlantic Ocean into the
British Virgin Isles. In 1998, Branson further unnerved
financial pundits when he invested his own private interests
into a series of rail lines including British Rail. As with many
Branson business endeavors, the investments were in conflict
with every traditional business tactic and mainstream corporate
practice, yet Branson ably accomplished his ends. Branson's
unique business style prompted David Sheff to comment in Forbes
that Branson is, "One of the world's most fertile businessmen
[with] highly unorthodox methods."
In 1999, and less than 30 years after the original conception of
the Branson Virgin businesses, Branson boasted over 200 Virgin
Megastores worldwide and a soft drink business-Virgin Cola-in
direct competition with Coca-Cola. All told, Branson employed
24,000 employees in 150 companies, with revenues totaling an
estimated five billion dollars each year from the entire Virgin
Group-including the music stores and airline. The Virgin empire
was last valued at an estimated $1.5 billion, and was the
largest privately owned business in England.
Adventure and Thrill Seeker
Branson is as well known for his death-defying "near-miss"
accidents as for his business acumen. In 1987, he made his
"virgin" parachute jump just weeks before embarking on a
trans-Atlantic balloon voyage with co-pilot Per Lindstrand in
the largest balloon ever made-replete with eight burners and
twelve miles of fabric. In preparation for the balloon flight,
Branson took a skydiving lesson and nearly killed himself when
he inadvertently unhooked his own parachute. A courageous jump
instructor rescued Branson in mid-air. Shortly afterward,
Branson made the balloon trip from Sugarloaf Mountain in Maine,
across the Atlantic to Ireland for the first trans-Atlantic
crossing in a balloon. Branson attempted a landing upon arrival
in Ireland, but encountered severe problems with the wind and
narrowly escaped a harrowing death in the icy Atlantic Ocean.
In 1991, Branson became the first person to cross the Pacific
Ocean in a balloon. He traveled nearly 7,000 miles between Japan
and Canada, and clocked speeds as high as 240 miles per hour.
The trip was fraught with tense moments, including the loss of
two fuel tanks. The loss of balloon altitude control caused the
crew to reach treacherous altitudes, well over 40,000 feet.
Pilot and co-pilot later missed their landing goal by 2,000
miles. Originally headed for Los Angeles, they landed in a
remote part of the North Canadian Rocky Mountains instead.
In January 1997, Branson made one of his first attempts to
successfully circumnavigate the earth in a hot-air balloon. By
December 1998, he was on his fourth attempt. Along with
Lindstrand and Steve Fossett, Branson set out to be the first in
history to accomplish the feat. Fossett and Branson-one-time
adversaries in the race to circumnavigate-left Marrakech,
crossed through Asia Minor and Asia and into the Pacific before
a hurricane downed the crew off the coast of Hawaii.
For these and other exploits, Branson was cited by Business
Week, as a new breed of "daredevil" CEO that needs to be
curtailed by boards of directors in the interests of
shareholders, in order to forestall pending doom that often
accompanies such antics. Branson certainly fit the bill; he is
an avid skier and speedboat racer, in addition to his skydiving
and ballooning exploits.
In 1979, Branson purchased an island in the Caribbean. The land
parcel, called Necker, consists of 74 acres. He purchased the
land for $300,000, and since that time invested $20 million into
customizing the island complete with a ten-bedroom house, two
guest houses, a desalinization plant, generator facilities, and
imported foliage to intersperse with the indigenous neckerberry
bushes that give the island its name. He rents the island for as
much as $20,500 per night. His guests include many of the most
prominent personalities in the world: the late Diana, Princess
of Wales, director Steven Spielberg, actor Mel Gibson, and movie
and television maven Oprah Winfrey.
A media phenomenon, Branson remains unaffected and dresses
casually, in comfortable clothes. He was married to Kristen
Tomassi in 1972; they divorced in 1976. In 1989, Branson wed
Joan Templeman of Glasgow-He arrived at the wedding ceremony
hanging from a helicopter. The couple has two children, Holly
and Sam. Branson published his autobiography, Losing My
Virginity, in 1998.
JACANA HOME PAGE
|
CLASSIC VIDEO CLIPS
|
JACANA ASTRONOMY SITE
JACANA PHOTO LIBRARY |
OLD MAUN PHOTO GALLERY |
MAUN PHONE DIRECTORY
FREE FONTS |
PIC OF THE DAY
|
GENERAL LIBRARY |
MAP LIBRARY |
TECHNICAL LIBRARY
HOUSE PLANS LIBRARY
|
MAUN E-MAIL, WEBSITE & SKYPE LIST
|
BOTSWANA GPS CO-ORDINATES
MAUN SAFARI WEB LINKS |
FREE SOFTWARE |
JACANA WEATHER PAGE
JACANA CROSSWORD LIBRARY |
JACANA CARTOON PAGE |
DEMOTIVATIONAL POSTERS
This web page was last updated on:
09 December, 2008
  |
