Branson was born in Blackheath, London, to Eve Branson (née Evette Huntley Flindt; 1924–2021), a former ballet dancer and air hostess, and Edward James Branson (1918–2011), a barrister. He has two younger sisters, Lindy

 ...

After failed attempts to grow and sell both Christmas trees and budgerigars, Branson launched a magazine named Student in 1966 with Nik Powell. The first issue of Student appeared in January 1968, and a year later, Branson's net worth was estimated at £50,000. The

 ...

1972–1980: Founding of Virgin Records
In 1972, using money earned from his record store, Branson launched the record label Virgin Records with Nik Powell. The name "Virgin" was suggested by one of Branson's early employees because they were all new at business.

 ...

Branson made several world record-breaking attempts after 1985, when in the spirit of the Blue Ribandhe attempted the fastest Atlantic Ocean

 ...

Branson has guest starred, usually playing himself, on several television shows, including Friends, Baywatch, Birds of a Feather, Only Fools and Horses, The Day Today, a

 ...

In the late 1990s, Branson and musician Peter Gabriel discussed with Nelson Mandelatheir idea of a small group of leaders working to solve difficult global conflicts. On 18 July 2007,

 ...

Branson has been involved in a number of failed business ventures, such as Virgin Cola, Virgin Cars, Virgin Publishing, Virgin Clothing and Virgin Brides. However, Branson holds an optimistic view of failure. He has written: "I suppose the secret to bouncing back is

 ...