| Sir Richard Branson Kt |
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Branson at the UK Drugs Policy: Taking the Lead Internationally discussion at Chatham House in March 2015
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| Born | Richard Charles Nicholas Branson 18 July 1950 Blackheath, London, England |
| Residence | Necker Island, British Virgin Islands |
| Other names | Old Beardie |
| Occupation | Founder of Virgin Group |
| Years active | 1966–present |
| Net worth |  US$5.2 billion (January 2016) |
| Spouse(s) | Kristen Tomassi (m. 1972; div. 1979) Joan Templeman (m. 1989) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent(s) | Edward James Branson Eve Branson |
| Relatives | Grandfather, the Right Honourable Sir George Arthur Harwin Branson, was a judge of the High Court of Justice and a Privy Councillor. |
Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson (born 18 July 1950) is an English business magnate, investor and philanthropist. He founded the Virgin Group, which controls more than 400 companies.
Branson expressed his desire to become an entrepreneur at a young age. At the age of sixteen his first business venture was a magazine called Student. In 1970, he set up a mail-order record business. In 1972, he opened a chain of record stores, Virgin Records, later known as Virgin Megastores. Branson’s Virgin brand grew rapidly during the 1980s, as he set up Virgin Atlantic airline and expanded the Virgin Records music label.
In March 2000, Branson was knighted at Buckingham Palace for “services to entrepreneurship”. For his work in retail, music and transport (with interests in land, air, sea and space travel), his taste for adventure, and for his humanitarian work, he became one of the most prominent figures in British culture. In 2002 he was named in the BBC’s poll of the 100 Greatest Britons. In January 2016, Forbes listed Branson’s estimated net worth at $5.2 billion.
Richard Branson is a British entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist whose fortune comes mostly from the multinational Virgin group, which has more than 400 companies under its control including Virgin Galactic of SpaceShipOne project fame and Virgin Atlantic. He gained prominence for his work in transportation, retail, and music. In 2000, he received a knighthood from the Buckingham Palace for his “services to entrepreneurship.” He currently has a net worth of $5.2 billion, according to Forbes.
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