Sir Richard Branson was born in London in 1950. He struggled academically due to dyslexia but excelled in sports. He founded Virgin Atlantic airlines in 1984 and has since launched over 400 companies across various industries including music, mobile phones, and space travel. Some of his world record attempts include crossing the Pacific Ocean in a hot air balloon and the fastest crossing of the English Channel in an amphibious vehicle. He has received many honors for his entrepreneurship including being knighted in 1999.

1. SIR RICHARD BRANSON
The father of Virgin...

2. PERSONAL LIFE
 Was born on 18th July 1950 in London
 Parents Edward James Branson and Eve
Branson
 Branson had dyslexia, a poor academic
performance as a student, but discovered his
ability to gel up with others
 Branson had poor academic records,
contrasted with excellent performance in
sports

3.  In 1998 Branson released
his autobiography entitled
‘Losing my virginity’ an
international best seller

6. BUSINESS VENTURES
• Formed Virgin Atlantic airways1984
• Entered into Railway business and won the
Virgin trains1992
• Acquired European short-haul airline Euro
Belgian airline and renamed it Virgin Express1996
• Launched Virgin Mobile1999
• Launched Virgin blue in Australia2000
• Was 9th in Sunday times rich list
• Formed Virgin comics and virgin animation2006
• Virgin America airlines
• Launched the Virgin health bank2007
• Virgin Health bank announced it would open
healthcare clinics2008

7. WORLD RECORD ATTEMPTS
• Crossed the Pacific from Japan to Arctic Canada,
6,700 miles (10,800 km), in a hot air balloon. This
broke the
record, with a speed of 245 miles per hour (394 km/h).
1998
• A 1998 attempt at an around-the-world balloon flight
by Branson, Fossett, and Lindstrand ends in the
Pacific Ocean on 25 December 1998.
• Flight from Morocco to Hawaii
1998
• Travelled from Dover to Calais in a Gibbs Aquada, in 1
hour, 40 minutes and 6 seconds, the fastest crossing
of the English
Channel in an amphibious vehicle.
2004

8. HONOURS
• Was knighted for his ‘services to
entrepreneurship1999
• received theTony Jannus Award for his
accomplishments in commercial air
transportation.2000
• Appears at No. 85 on the 2002 list of "100
Greatest Britons´.2002
• Ranked in 2007'sTime Magazine "Top 100 Most Influential
People in the World".
• Was presented with the United Nations Correspondents
Association Citizen of the World Award for his support for
environmental and humanitarian causes
2007