Richard Branson

Billionaire Richard Branson, one of the seven richest people in the UK, owner of the corporation "Virgin", was flying over the Atlantic Ocean. Enough fuel was only for an hour, the balloon tossed from side to side, hanging from the gondola rope, for which he clung, swung like a pendulum.
In three thousand meters under their feet splashing cold leaden waves. Satellite Branson just flew over the side - a lifejacket Lindstrendt not had time to put. There was a north wind, the ball drifted to the shores of Scotland, Branson thought he jump or not jump. He had to freeze in the water or crashing on the coastal cliffs. In the second case would have died instantly, the first left him one-tenth of a chance - and Branson has decided to let go. The problem was that he could not remember from where the suit is ring parachute. Wind increases, gondola rocked stronger, Branson closed his eyes and tried to focus. He had to take major decisions in her life - that he was waiting at home, he no longer remembered.


In England, left his family business and the state (a conservative estimate of about two billion pounds). Branson was very rich and wildly popular. A few years before he decided to cross the Atlantic in a balloon (to him it could not be anyone; risked five of the seven killed), . service public opinion research suggested that British teenagers answer the question: "Who would you trust to write to a modern fashion ten Christian zapovedeyN" The first three places were taken by Mother Teresa, . Pope and the Archbishop of Canterbury, . fourth got Branson.,

. Hearing of this, . Archbishop of Canterbury, was greatly surprised: Branson whole life doing something, . what other teenagers only dream, . - And who does not know, . what dream podrostkiN with the commandment "Do not commit adultery," he, , . as yet in school, . seducing the daughter of eighteen Director,
. His feat Branson described in detail: to end the damned innocence, fourteen-year-boy to frequent the house director, and once he spotted one of the teachers - Richard got out of the window. "What are you delaliN" - asked the majestic and unflappable director. "Return of the room of your daughter, sir!" - Having reported brisk Branson and at the same moment was expelled from school. But like him, with his bare hands to take it was impossible: going back to her, a young adulterer wrote a suicide note, he gave her very curious boy and left the school. Staggered, moaning and rubbing his head, he headed for the nearest cliff, making sure that it runs for a crowd of schoolchildren and teachers, Richard slowed step. Exception was canceled ... Secondary education gave him a start in life, but Richard Branson is not going to use it.

. ... Scrambling on the wall of wicker gondola, Branson shook his head and smiled: it was about his life, and in the head climbing all this nonsense - to his own surprise, he began to recall his school troubles
. Now he had to do the impossible: return to the gondola and drop the ball below the. Only so you can jump down and break on the water - Branson time realized that Mongolfier able to turn into a giant parachute. Hard to cross the edge of the gondola, just in case he turned the levers of the transmitter (the radio was silent), and began to decline. At two thousand meters Branson tested lifejacket again smiled and shook his head. In childhood dizleksiya spoiled his life, now could kill - but now he felt better than in school.
... The disease is discovered only recently, when Richard Branson was a child, it still does not know how to diagnose. Patients dizleksiey impaired coordination, letters and numbers for them meaningless - such a child is very difficult to teach reading and numeracy. All this would not make any difference whether Branson is the son of a farmer or a worker (for the American millionaire, who directs the local mythology be from the lower classes, such an origin is quite typical). But he was born in Her Majesty's subjects and to his misfortune was of noble origin: Branson were not sharecroppers and weavers, and graphs.

. Father Richard sat in the Supreme Court and received the title Knight - George Branson knelt, Queen struck him on the shoulder and his sword drawn and he rose from his palace parquet Sir George
. Branson served their country in the army, navy and in court - the mind and knowledge to benefit them and the money and honors. Father Richard first to break this tradition - to all appearances, he also suffered dizleksiey. Edward Branson was not able to enter the prestigious Eton, which Branson has finished four centuries in a row, several times filled up examinations for a lawyer and in addition to all married stewardess. Edward excellent fought in World War II, but in the eyes of his relatives is not justified. He gave his name to a woman whose father bred chickens - this desecration Branson had not been born since then, during one of the Crusades, the Saracens put on a count of Count Gilbert, the third in a row.

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. Edward Branson knew what was wanted of him home: he still became a lawyer, worked in the court, but on the legal field was not good: no money, my wife had to work
. But the family he had a great - during the endless meetings he missed his wife and children. Yvette Branson (nц?e Flindt), smart and strong-willed woman, worked tirelessly: weaving mats, wove baskets, painted boxes. One day, dragging a suitcase with crafts at the local department store, she damaged spine. Richard Ives did not give descent: she saw that her husband's career was not developed, and is ready for her son.

. From time to time my mother arranged it tests for survival: he had to go there, do not know where, and to bring it, do not know that - as a rule, he succeeded
. When Branson was only four years, it landed him out of the car a few miles from home: "Run to us, a little. Look for Daddy ". Little found him in the evening - and Yvette gave him hot milk.

. When he turned 11, an early January morning, she woke her son, rolling his bike, put it in a package of apple and a few sandwiches (water, Richard had to get myself) and sent the 50 miles to the nearby town with relatives
. Adulthood, . Richard painted his odyssey in paint - that he, . did the, . that he was manuf, . proud and tired, . back home, . and his mother smiled and said: "Well done, . Ricky! Well, . it veseloN Run over-ka to the priest: he must chop firewood, . I promised, . What will you at any minute ",
. Mrs. Branson was sure that one day her son would become prime minister, and did everything that he does not make a blunder when it is necessary to climb. She had no doubt that her child's shoulder all - the family Flindt had very strong genes.
. Dorothy Flindt, Yvette's mother could give odds to anyone: in 89 years, she became the oldest person in Britain who have successfully passed the exam for the Latin American dance, and 90 - the oldest man to score in golf ball with one blow
. A year before his century grandmother toured the world and so was bought in Jamaica, which lagged behind the ship, left on the beach in a bathing suit. Then she was reminded of this episode. In a deathbed letter from Dorothy told relatives that the last ten years have been the best time in her life.

Yvette has inherited her mother's love of sport and dance: a girl danced in the Royal Ballet, but the soloist never vybilas. Then he wanted to become a pilot. Women in this work did not take, and then put Yvette suit, short hair cut hair, and sat still for the steering wheel of the plane - she managed to pass himself off as a guy ... Then her itch to become a stewardess. Medical education and foreign language knowledge required for this profession, it certainly was not. But a few months Yvette Flindt has worked on international lines - is where she met and Edward Branson. The marriage ended career, Yvette was a relative of the Count and got right to the ancient title of "Honorable", but honestly still think their marriage misalliance.

All was well until Richard did not go to school. Branson belonged to a noble estate, and among them have always been taken to send children to private schools - they cost big money, but was given an excellent education, and hardened nature of the rest of their lives. A lot of sports, classes in Greek and Latin and legitimized the centuries-old tradition of periodic flogging - to those who honorably stood the test of a privileged English school, it was nothing terribly. For Branson with his dizleksiey education has become a torture.


He was initially taken for a complete idiot - just a few semesters in the teacher realized that the child is nearsighted. Richard picked up his glasses, he could finally see what is written on the blackboard, but the letters and numbers is still not found the meaning. It helps that he was captain of three school teams - for success in football and rugby forgave him a lot. But then Branson broke his leg and immediately found himself in a school for handicapped students. There he began to flog every. She was beaten because he could not read, because he did not know what is the area of a circle, because the ball flew into a bed, tucked in the wrong bed and nenachischennye shoes - the students quickly became accustomed to the idea that beating would in any case. A year later, Richard Branson has developed quality, which dreams of any karate: he ceased to pay attention to attacks. Richard whipped, and he politely thanked for his efforts wipes sweat teacher.

And then Richard Branson plunged into business. At the Christmas holidays, he returned home and began pritorgovyvat Christmas trees, then took the parrots - birds turned out to be a real gold mine. Branson Sr. together a cage, and parrots are breeding like rabbits. Richard gave them the whole town, and all product was added. Soon he returned to school, and his mother wrote to him that the parrot had got eaten by rats in cage. In fact, she released them to freedom - the parrots eat too much and too loudly shouting. Richard is not a long time thinking about the sad fate of the bird - he came the real thing.

The ball dropped .... Branson took a deep breath and jumped down - punched the air in the face, which seemed an eternity after six seconds he plunged into cold water. Green darkness before his eyes, the water in the mouth and nose, ringing in the ears - he thought he was dying, and then a life vest shoved him to the surface. Richard did not expect that it will not know that the rescue helicopter had circled nearby, and the pilot sitting next to his friend and partner Jonny Gems.

They have been together since, like Richard Branson erupted makings of a leader. In high school, he began to fight for the common school cause: protesting against the custom of prank out of school children in uniforms and force them to march around the yard, . against going to church on Sundays and the mandatory presence at school sports games,
. In addition, each of John tried to realign the school canteen and to abolish the study of Latin. In order to change the world, we need the press - fifteen Richard Branson began publishing a magazine "Student".

His room in the school dormitory, Richard converted an office. Set in her phone was not allowed, and he nazvanival advertisers from street machine. Calls Branson not paid - closing the door of the booth, he called on the telephone station and reported that the conversation was interrupted, and the coin machine swallowed. The operator connects it to the appropriate number, to bellow: "Since you will say Mr Branson!" - And all took her for a secretary with big boss. Five minutes later, she reported that the time has expired, so Branson has tried hard to convince the interlocutor for four minutes and forty-five seconds - so he formed the famous aggressive and uncompromising style of negotiation. At graduation Director said that Richard Branson or go to jail or become a millionaire. A year later the first issue of "Student".


Richard, John and their friend Nick made it in the basement - to pay for telephone calls and e-mail accounts went Prize for necklaces, which Mrs. Branson found on the street. The magazine managed to unwind - it published Jean-Paul Sartre, Mick Jagger, John Lennon and the famous author of spy novels of John le Carrц?. None of them Richard Branson has not paid a penny.
The ability to knock free articles he had no equal: Branson has appealed to celebrities with a polite letter, in which he asked them to reflect on important themes for humanity. Of the fifty recipients was answered ten - that was enough for three numbers.
Two years later, the magazine went bankrupt: Branson has failed to cope with the involvement of advertising and distribution of publications. But by this time he had to stand on his feet - at the same time with the magazine, Richard unscrewed another business.
. In "Student" came through the youth center: here were struggling to raise the salaries of nurses, and arranging for work of nurses, students looking for student-tutors and provided moral support to unmarried girls who become pregnant
. For the beauty business, Richard told tearjerker: one of his pregnant girlfriend, and they did not know what to do and where to go - that and decided to create its own Center.

. ... Helicopter rotor with a roar ripped the air
. Soon must grow dark, and the pilot, John looked into his face, shook his head. Hope is almost no choice, and yet John asked the pilot once again fly over the sea this box - he was convinced that Branson is sure to find: for many years, John worked beside a man who turned out absolutely everything.

. Branson made his business with a smile - a joke that he allowed himself, were a match for Charlie Chaplin
. Matured and immensely wealthy Branson still liked throwing cream cakes and push their guests in the pool. At one of the techniques he grabbed the wife of American billionaire and turned it upside down. Once at the ski resort slid into the valley completely naked. At the end of a talk show, which Branson played the role of chief guest, he stood up, smiled happily and poured on the head of the lead glass of water. The audience howled with delight, and John sympathy to a friend. He knew what was going on - Richard Branson was confused and could not find the answer quickly. Dizleksiya poorly to treatment - Branson never learned to speak beautifully, he interspersed his speech with mooing and interjections. But the charisma and energy he was not to occupy.


John could not understand why his friend so attracted people: Londoners stood in line for months on the phone, but Richard easily provide growing companies with new numbers. Eventually it became clear that he had met with the usual engineer with the telephone station, and that solved all their problems with communication. New friend Branson did not pay a penny - from time to time he gave him the keys to his apartment, he went out there girlfriends and was happy.

. John spent tons of money on the plate - he denied himself at lunch, but bought all the new discs
. At first, Richard was laughing at him, but then I realized that the money is very close - it is necessary to bend and lift what you have under your feet. His new firm, mailing cheap plates Branson called "Virgin" ( "Virgin"). Salt names was that in show business, he and his friends were innocent and ignorant as children - it soon became clear that this is not an obstacle to the success.

. Richard Branson has really succeeded: to the plate went like hot cakes, but the outbreak of the strike of postal employees, he opened with John store on one of the central streets of London - and did not pay the rent
. They got in the owner of a chic shoe salon: Branson has managed to hypnotize him so that the poor believe - the visitors dear little shop into a musical will draw attention to his product. On the first day of brensonovskomu counter formed a queue in a hundred meters long, in the evening he came from behind him with a suitcase full of money. Shoemaker was struck - he managed to sell all four pairs.

Now, Richard Branson was only up, and the way it was bright. He took up cinema: founded the network "virgin cinemas, underwrote a screen version of Orwell's dystopia" 1984 "and he starred in. Then he dived into the travel business: a group of "virgin hotels" brought together a number of hotels in England and Spain, . as well as belonging to the British virgin islands, "Virgin Weekend" organized annual vacation quarter of a million,
. "Virgin Games" deal with computer toys. "Virgin Atlantic Airways have managed to press the British Airways (Branson beat their level of service - in its" virgin "Boeing is even a massage parlor). Station "virgin", focused on the educated youth, was recognized as the best in England, and profitability came in third place. "Virgin Cola" became one of the most fashionable of British soft drinks. "Virgin Vodka, which Branson has released together with the old firm William Grant, which specializes in elite varieties of whiskey, took more than ten percent of the British market ... Yet he was restless - John felt it like no other.

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. Richard Branson to little: he never pays for a bottle of wine for more than fifteen pounds, looks like dresses for cheap sales, and until recently lived in a small floating house
. Margaret Thatcher still remembers how Branson has become a central figure in one of the methods of government - as the photographers turned their backs on the team from the Queen, and had taken off his feet (he went to Windsor Castle in different shoes). Journalists called Richard's most famous entrepreneur Britain, . but he was not even working seat - his empire, Branson drove a little greasy maroon sofa, . huddled against the corner of the main office of the company "virgin".,

. "Virginity" to conquer the world, Richard Branson was eager to higher and higher
. In private life he was left with neither the strength nor the time - and it creaked at the seams.

. ... Before John raced to the airport, he called Branson's first wife, American Kristen Tomasi - John smiled, remembering the circumstances of her acquaintance with Richard
. Shouting loudly: "Smuggling", Branson swept through the house, rented "virgin" for visiting musicians. Looking into one of the rooms, Branson saw a tall beautiful blond Scandinavian type: cheerful eyes, high cheekbones, hips tight black jeans and black bra - sweater girl holding a. He said that because she looks much better and she can not wear anything. She wondered what kind of contraband, he asked. When black and shaggy smuggling into the room wagging his tail, both laughed.

Branson and Kristen spent the day together and at night they were also together in the morning she was gone - was waiting for her fiance. Richard Branson was not going to put up with it: the day Kristen was a strange telegram: "The boat is sinking. Call-machine "- and stood his own room. Puzzled Kristen ran into the street and phoned. And while they talked, John (he was guarding the entrance) entered the apartment, told her boyfriend that she left him, and took her suitcase in brensonovsky floating house. By phone Branson said Christine, that she had prepared a surprise and we should quickly come to him - a surprise were her own thing, which he ceremoniously dumped on the floor.

Divorce, too, did not wait. Richard Branson has lived with his wife not so much as a phone: the ringing at any time of day and night, and the happy owner of "virginity", breaking away from newspapers, dinner or having sex, began doing business. At first, Kristen indignant, then - only in a protest - it has to change, and then went to another. Branson was chasing her around the world, the last conversation took place in a kind of Greek restaurant - both were crying so that the waiter did not take their money for booze. And yet, Kristen has not returned - Richard had to live with it, but they remained friends.

. .. Joan, second wife of Branson, and is not used to her husband's adventures - a few years ago, Richard crossed the Atlantic in a boat (boat sank, but he miraculously survived) - and each time I could not find a place of anxiety
. The fact that he constantly checked herself and felt a destiny, not let her sleep peacefully - why take chances, because they have all so horoshoN!

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. In the past, Joan was the antique store clerk, Branson took her away from her husband, with whom she lived for eight years
. He fell in love with her at first sight, the year brought flowers, another year went on dates - and one evening she remained in his floating house. Their first-born lived only four days, and the second daughter was born a cheerful, inquisitive and healthy: she grew up, she got a brother, more than anything else they like to drive in my father's "Range-Rover" on my mother's lawn. A flight, Branson said his companion and owner of the ball, the balloonist Per Lindstrendta, if he has a child - a Swede had two children, and Richard ventured. Joan did not know that a balloon, on which her husband had crossed the Atlantic on the Irish coast by the wind struck the cliff - ballast left, the radio breaks down, the satellite Branson scared and jumped into the water from a great height.

. Stupid life prove strangers that you're not the last student in the class - thinking about that splashing about in the icy water for Richard Branson
. The life went out, and Branson began to think that the most important thing is, rather than ambition, and ambition: he suffered from the fact that dizleksiya prevents him from accurately hit the racket on the ball and drive a car, but now all it seemed to be nonsense. He made his point - Britons wake up to the sounds of "virgin" radio, put on "virgin" jeans, go to the "virgin" supermarket, buy a "virgin" vodka and fly to America on aircraft "virgin Atlantic Airlines. He has several houses, expensive cars, own an island in the Caribbean. But now, he'd give it all for the opportunity to be on the ground, in dry and warm room ...