RichList Hall of Fame....Sir Richard Branson ABC of Success journey

 

By Judah Osagie

That the #2. 5 billion worth Sir Richard Branson is one of world's most resilient and successfull business man is never in doubt 

Born Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson on born 18 July 1950, this   British business magnate and commercial astronaut is a man full of inspirations for example when in  1970s he founded the Virgin Group, little did many know it will one day   controls more than 400 companies in various fields. In this well researched work , RichList Magazine international Editor, Judah Osagie tells you the ABC of Sir Richard Branson journey to the top of his game

1966 – After failed attempts to grow and sell both Christmas trees and budgerigars, Branson launches his first successful business, a magazine named Student, the first issue of which appearing in January 1968 Branson's net worth was estimated at £50,000 by 1969.

1970 – Start selling records by mail-order

1971 – Opens his first record shop on Oxford Street

1972 – Opens a Virgin Recording Studio

1973 – Launches Virgin Records record label

1979 – Buys the gay nightclub Heaven, located under Charing Cross railway station. It was sold in 2003 to a private buyer.[citation needed] Branson's net worth was estimated at £5 million by 1979

1980 – Virgin Records goes international

1981 – Virgin buys the Kensington Roof Gardens

1983 – Virgin Vision, later to become Virgin Communications, is formed to distribute films and videos in the television and broadcasting sector.

1983 – Virgin Games is launched.

1984 – Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Cargo are launched

1984 – Virgin Vision (launched the previous year) launches "Music Box", a 24-hour satellite music station.

1985 – Virgin Group now includes record labels, retail outlets, exported music publishing, broadcasting, satellite television, and film and video distribution.

1985 – Branson starts Virgin Holidays

1987 – Branson takes Virgin Records to the United States

1987 – The Virgin Group, along with Granada, Anglia and Pearson, founds British Satellite Broadcasting and receives a UK licence to broadcast five new TV channels by satellite in the UK.

1987 – Virgin sets up 525, a post production facility in Los Angeles, to work on high-end commercials and pop videos.

1987 – Virgin sets up "Music Box" as an independent producer of music programmes.

1987 – Virgin buys a 45% stake in Mastertronic Group. Later Virgin Mastertronic becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of Virgin Group, creating, marketing and distributing computer games software and Sega consoles in several European countries.

1987 – Virgin buys Rushes Postproduction in London.

1987 – Virgin launches Virgin Airship & Balloon Company.

1987 – Richard Branson launched Mates condoms in the UK to promote condoms to young adults

1988 – Virgin re-opens the recently acquired and re-modeled Olympic Studios in Barnes, London.

1988 – Virgin launches Virgin Classics, another Virgin international record label specializing in high-quality classical music.

1988 – Virgin sells some of its smaller UK retail stores and puts more money into Virgin Megastores, opening new stores both in the UK and abroad.

1988 – Virgin sets up Virgin Broadcasting.

1988 – Virgin sells its shareholding in British Satellite Broadcasting.

1990 – Virgin arrives in Japan[citation needed]

1991 – Virgin Publishing (Virgin Books) is formed

1992 – Virgin Records is sold to Thorn EMI[4]

1993 - Virgin Vision is bought by PolyGram for $5.6 million

1993 – Virgin Radio hits the airwaves with Virgin 1215AM

1994 – Launch of Virgin Vodka and Virgin Cola

1995 - Discretely invests in AirTicketsDirect

1995 – Virgin Direct Personal Financial Services opens for business

1995 – Virgin Express a European low cost Airline is launched in Brussels after the purchase and rebranding of EBA Express

1996 – V2 Music is created

1996 – Virgin.Net launches

1996 – Virgin Brides launches

1996 – Virgin Group becomes majority shareholders in London Broncos rugby league team

1997 – Virgin CrossCountry and Virgin Trains West Coast commence operations

1997 – Majority shareholding in Virgin Radio is sold to Chris Evans

1997 – Virgin Cosmetics launches

1998 – 49% stake in Virgin Rail Group sold to Stagecoach Group[10]

1999 – Virgin Mobile launches Virgin's first telecoms venture

1999 – Virgin Active Launches in South Africa, UK and Italy

1999 – Majority shareholding in London Broncos is sold to David Hughes

1999 – 49% shareholding in Virgin Atlantic sold to Singapore Airlines[12]

2000 – Virgin launches Australian airline Virgin Blue (now called Virgin Australia)

2000 – Virgin sells Rushes Postproduction to Ascent Media – then Liberty Livewire

2000 – Virgin launches Virgin Energy

2000 – Virgin launches Virgin Cars

2002 - Virgin Interactive Espania SA splits from Virgin Interactive and re-brands as Virgin Play

2004 – Virgin launches Virgin Galactic

2005 – Virgin Express merges with Sn Brussels Airlines to form Brussels Airlines. Virgin retains minority share.

2005 – Virgin Active UK acquires Holmes Place

2006 – Virgin announces Virgin Fuel, a new company to produce a clean fuel in the future

2006 – Virgin Active Spain is Launched

2007 – Virgin Active Portugal is Launched

2007 – Virgin launches Virgin Health Bank

2007 – Virgin launches Virgin Media

2007 – Virgin launches Virgin America

2007 – Virgin buys 20% stakes in AirAsia X

2007 – Sells Virgin Megastore in the UK and Ireland to Zavvi

2007 – Virgin Media Television Launches Virgin 1

2007 – Closes Virgin Digital in the UK (Virgin now sells music downloads through Virgin Media's website)

2007 – Virgin Fuel US$400 million in Virgin Atlantic jet flight on biofuels and in renewable energy.

2007 – Virgin Money becomes preferred bidder for acquisition of Northern Rock (and is eventually successful).

2007 – Virgin Radio Italia launches in Italy in joint venture with Finelco.

2007 – Virgin CrossCountry ceases after franchise lost to Arriva CrossCountry

2008 – Virgin Australia Airlines offers competitive prices between Australia and Los Angeles. Known as V Australia due to naming rights.

2008 – Virgin launches Virgin Healthcare

2009 – Virgin launches Virgin Money Giving 

2010 – Virgin launches Virgin Racing, a Formula One team previously known as Manor Grand Prix

2010 – Virgin launches Virgin Gaming, a service for people of all skill levels to play competitively on popular Video Games.

2010 – Virgin launches Virgin Produced, a film and television development, packaging and production company based in Los Angeles, California.

2010 – Virgin launches Project, a digital magazine created exclusively for Apple Inc's iPad

2010 – Virgin Money buys Church House Trust

2012 – Virgin Money buys Northern Rock[16]

2012 – Virgin Galactic announces the development of orbital space launch system LauncherOne.

2013 – Virgin Media sold to Liberty Global

2015 – Virgin Trains East Coast commences operating the InterCity East Coast franchise, Virgin Group hold a 10% shareholding

2016 – Virgin launches Virgin Voyages; Virgin Radio Jakarta launches in May 2016, replacing Ninety Niners FM. The station was owned by MPG Media

2017 – Virgin invested in Hyperloop One; Branson joined its board of directors,and in December 2017 became its chairman.

2018 – Virgin invests in Brightline trains in Florida, USA. The system is briefly named Virgin Trains USA.

2018 – Virgin Trains East Coast ceases trading[21]

2019 - Virgin purchases Flybe through the consortium Connect Airways, Flybe is subsequently renamed Virgin Connect.

2019 - Virgin Trains West Coast ceases after InterCity West Coast franchise lost to Avanti West Coast

• No doubt Sir Richard Branson life is a journey well travelled and we hope his story inspires you to dream on

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