ANCIENT&
not so ancient
WISDOM
offering a weekly positive perspective
July
8, 2004
 "A
business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has
to exercise your creative instincts."
- Richard Branson (1950 - )
Thomas
Jefferson was born in 1743 in Albermarle County, Virginia,
inheriting from his father 5,000 acres of land, and from his
mother, Jane Randolph Jefferson, high social standing.
Richard
Branson was born in July 18, 1950. In 1967, he started a
student advisory service while going to school at Stowe.
Three
years later, he started the Virgin mail order record
company. He used profits to build a studio in 1972.
Mike Oldfield recorded his “Tubular Bells” album in that
studio and the sale of over five millions albums provide the
catalyst for Virgin Records to sign major names like The
Rolling Stones, Culture Club, Janet Jackson, and Peter
Gabriel.
By
the early 1980s, Virgin Records was one of the top six
record companies in the world. In 1984, Branson started
Virgin Atlantic within three months of getting the idea to
operate an airline between London and New York. Since then,
Virgin Atlantic has become the second largest long-haul
international airline operating services out of London's
Heathrow and Gatwick Airports.
In
1992 Branson sold Virgin Music to Thorn EMI and put more
money into Virgin Atlantic (He retained ownership in the
Virgin Megastores, the V2 record label and night-club
holdings, book and software publishing, film and video
editing and hotels). In December 1999, Branson signed
an agreement to sell a 49% stake of Virgin Atlantic to
Singapore Airlines to form a global partnership.
In
1999, he was awarded a knighthood for his services to
entrepreneurship.
For
fun, he has made round-the-world balloon attempts and
sailing records. He has also guest starred, playing himself,
on several television shows. Richard lives in London and
Oxfordshire and is married with two children.
Wishing
you great and continued success in all pursuits of business.
Sincerely,
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