1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:05,720 Speaker 1: In nineteen seventy two, a young entrepreneur named Richard Branson 2 00:00:05,840 --> 00:00:08,400 Speaker 1: turned his mail order record business into a brick and 3 00:00:08,440 --> 00:00:12,280 Speaker 1: mortar store, which he named Virgin Records. Today, the company, 4 00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:15,080 Speaker 1: which is now called Virgin Group, is much more than 5 00:00:15,120 --> 00:00:19,400 Speaker 1: a record store, comprising more than forty companies that include airlines, 6 00:00:19,400 --> 00:00:24,520 Speaker 1: financial services, communications, and even space travel, and Branson himself 7 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:28,720 Speaker 1: has stakes in more than four hundred companies ranging from travel, media, healthcare, 8 00:00:28,760 --> 00:00:32,400 Speaker 1: and finance. Branson was knighted by Queen Elizabeth the Second 9 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:35,559 Speaker 1: in two thousand and continues to be a prominent global 10 00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:39,159 Speaker 1: figure for his philanthropy and his adventure and marketing stunts. 11 00:00:39,159 --> 00:00:41,919 Speaker 1: Branson was knighted by Queen Elizabeth in two thousand and 12 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:45,120 Speaker 1: continues to be a prominent global figure for his philanthropy 13 00:00:45,159 --> 00:00:47,960 Speaker 1: and his adventure and marketing stunts, such as crossing the 14 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:51,200 Speaker 1: Atlantic Ocean in a hot air balloon and kite surfing 15 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:55,160 Speaker 1: across the English Channel. Branson recently sat down with Carlisle 16 00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:59,000 Speaker 1: Group co founder David Rubinstein. They spoke on David Rubinstein's 17 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:04,480 Speaker 1: Bloomberg television program Peer to Peer Conversations. You've written two books, 18 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 1: one is Losing Your Virginity and one is finding your virginity. 19 00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:12,000 Speaker 1: And in those books you describe this incredible path, how 20 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:15,360 Speaker 1: you've gone from very modest meanings to this great wealth. 21 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:19,679 Speaker 1: When you started life, you were not a great um 22 00:01:19,920 --> 00:01:23,399 Speaker 1: scholar as a young boy because you had a dysluxia. 23 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:25,440 Speaker 1: When did you realize you had dyslexia? And was it 24 00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:33,280 Speaker 1: a problem for you early on? Ah? In conventional schooling terms, 25 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:35,360 Speaker 1: it was a big problem. I mean I would sit 26 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:37,640 Speaker 1: at the back of the class, look at the look 27 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:40,640 Speaker 1: at the blackboard, and it was just a jumble and 28 00:01:41,959 --> 00:01:46,240 Speaker 1: uh and uh and you know the the you know, 29 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:50,160 Speaker 1: I was thought of as a bit lazy, a bit thick, 30 00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:52,559 Speaker 1: I mean, you know, or a mixture of the two. 31 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:58,840 Speaker 1: And if I was interested in something, and I generally 32 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:04,280 Speaker 1: excelled uh and And what I was interested in was 33 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:07,760 Speaker 1: what was going on in the world. So the Vietnamese 34 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:10,320 Speaker 1: War was going on. There was a general sort of 35 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:15,359 Speaker 1: sixties sort of uprising of students taking place, and um, 36 00:02:15,360 --> 00:02:18,200 Speaker 1: so I decided to start a magazine to campaign against 37 00:02:18,919 --> 00:02:21,200 Speaker 1: the things that I thought were wrong in the world, 38 00:02:21,200 --> 00:02:24,119 Speaker 1: in particular the Vietnamese. This was when you're fifteen years old, 39 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:26,000 Speaker 1: so you dropped out of school at more or less 40 00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:28,520 Speaker 1: fifteen or so, you start the magazine and as part 41 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:31,080 Speaker 1: of the magazine you get interviews with from prominent people, 42 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:33,639 Speaker 1: one of whom was Mick Jagger. Or is it hard 43 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:35,560 Speaker 1: to get an interview with Mick Jagger when you're fifteen 44 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:38,560 Speaker 1: years old? Do you know? I think in some ways 45 00:02:38,600 --> 00:02:43,520 Speaker 1: if you're fifteen you have a better chance of getting 46 00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:46,919 Speaker 1: interviews with people then if you're thirty or forty or fifty. 47 00:02:48,040 --> 00:02:51,440 Speaker 1: And you know, I would, I would just turn up 48 00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:56,519 Speaker 1: at people's houses and uh and you know doors stop them. 49 00:02:56,600 --> 00:02:59,880 Speaker 1: And because I was young and and and enthusiastic, they 50 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:03,200 Speaker 1: generally took pity on me. Ultimately, you decided to start 51 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:07,240 Speaker 1: a record company. Um, where did you get that idea from? 52 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:10,120 Speaker 1: And where did the name virgin come from? Why not branch? 53 00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:15,480 Speaker 1: And we were sitting, you know, fifty sixty years old. 54 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:18,040 Speaker 1: We were sitting in the basement with a bunch of 55 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:21,799 Speaker 1: girls and we were throwing out ideas and we got 56 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:24,400 Speaker 1: down to be the slip disc records because of the 57 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:29,120 Speaker 1: black vinyls that always had scratches and slipped or virgin. 58 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:31,320 Speaker 1: And one of the girls laughed and said, well, we're 59 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:33,880 Speaker 1: all virgins, and your virgin at business. Why don't you 60 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:38,120 Speaker 1: call it virgin and she get a finer's feed for 61 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:41,000 Speaker 1: that idea. I can't remember. If she's out of there, 62 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:44,680 Speaker 1: she can be delighted to give a one. But you know, 63 00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:50,880 Speaker 1: but I mean, it's very fortunate because we've gone into 64 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:54,040 Speaker 1: so many different sectors, so many different businesses. We've been 65 00:03:54,080 --> 00:03:59,080 Speaker 1: a virgin in all of these different sectors and slip 66 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:02,760 Speaker 1: disc air lines would not have. So you start a 67 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:07,400 Speaker 1: record company and initially it's a record as a retailer, right, yeah, 68 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:11,560 Speaker 1: we started actually initially it was a male order selling 69 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:14,440 Speaker 1: records much cheaper than anybody else had done. And then 70 00:04:14,480 --> 00:04:16,800 Speaker 1: so we're the first people to sell records at a discount. 71 00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:19,240 Speaker 1: And then there was a mail order strike for six 72 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:22,360 Speaker 1: weeks and so we went looking for a very very 73 00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:26,479 Speaker 1: cheap music store in Oxford Street. Then you start building 74 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:29,719 Speaker 1: the virgin megastores, gigantic stores, and you had a lot 75 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 1: of stores in UK and other places. How many did 76 00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:36,400 Speaker 1: you have? At one point we had about three hundred 77 00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:39,279 Speaker 1: megastores around the world, and all of all the main 78 00:04:39,279 --> 00:04:46,320 Speaker 1: places like Times Square, Chanzas, Oxford Street. At the heyday 79 00:04:46,320 --> 00:04:49,719 Speaker 1: of when you know, of when music was really all 80 00:04:49,760 --> 00:04:54,359 Speaker 1: that young, people did before games, before mobile phones, before 81 00:04:54,440 --> 00:04:56,880 Speaker 1: the other things, the younger people. The success was the virgin, 82 00:04:57,000 --> 00:05:00,320 Speaker 1: name your self, promotion of it, or your shell things 83 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:04,160 Speaker 1: cheaper than other people. What was the virgin was synonymous 84 00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:10,400 Speaker 1: with music credibility, so Frank Zapper or the Rolling Stones, 85 00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:12,679 Speaker 1: I mean, you know, so we had a very credible brand. 86 00:05:12,960 --> 00:05:16,320 Speaker 1: And you know, one day there was a young artist 87 00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:20,039 Speaker 1: came to me with fantastic tape and I took it 88 00:05:20,080 --> 00:05:22,840 Speaker 1: to a number of record companies and none of them 89 00:05:22,839 --> 00:05:25,560 Speaker 1: would put it out. So I thought, screw that, will 90 00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:29,840 Speaker 1: start our own record company. And and uh and uh, 91 00:05:29,839 --> 00:05:31,920 Speaker 1: and we we put it out on our own record 92 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:35,640 Speaker 1: company and and it was called Jubila Bells by Mike Oldfield, 93 00:05:35,680 --> 00:05:38,159 Speaker 1: and it became a great success. So you have a 94 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:41,400 Speaker 1: record retail and company and a record production company in 95 00:05:41,440 --> 00:05:44,919 Speaker 1: both called Virgin. Somebody drove drew a V for you 96 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:47,200 Speaker 1: to be your logo. We decided we needed a more 97 00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:51,280 Speaker 1: a slightly hipper looking label, and somebody just came came 98 00:05:51,320 --> 00:05:54,320 Speaker 1: up with this very simple signature. But then you decide, well, 99 00:05:54,360 --> 00:05:56,880 Speaker 1: I need to start an airline. Um, where did the 100 00:05:57,000 --> 00:06:01,320 Speaker 1: idea come from? It came from I was trying to 101 00:06:01,360 --> 00:06:04,359 Speaker 1: get from Puerto Rico to the Virgin Islands. I was 102 00:06:04,400 --> 00:06:07,280 Speaker 1: twenty eight years old, and I had a lovely lady 103 00:06:07,279 --> 00:06:10,000 Speaker 1: waiting for me. And you went to the Virgin Islands 104 00:06:10,040 --> 00:06:16,440 Speaker 1: because you liked the name Virginition exactly and actually that's true. 105 00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:21,240 Speaker 1: And anyway, American Airlines bumped bumped us, and I want 106 00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:22,920 Speaker 1: I had been away from this lady for three weeks. 107 00:06:22,960 --> 00:06:25,760 Speaker 1: So I went to the back of the airport hard 108 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:28,680 Speaker 1: a plane. I hope my credit card wouldn't bounce, and 109 00:06:29,160 --> 00:06:32,440 Speaker 1: I got a black board I wrote Virgin Airlines one 110 00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:34,920 Speaker 1: ways to b B. I went to all the other 111 00:06:34,920 --> 00:06:37,200 Speaker 1: people who were bumped, and I filled up my first 112 00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:40,280 Speaker 1: plane and and when we landed in the b B, 113 00:06:40,400 --> 00:06:44,640 Speaker 1: I the passenger next to me said, sharpen up the 114 00:06:44,640 --> 00:06:47,480 Speaker 1: service a bit, and you could be in the airline business. 115 00:06:47,680 --> 00:06:50,560 Speaker 1: And and I thought, okay. So the next day I 116 00:06:50,640 --> 00:06:53,120 Speaker 1: rang up Boeing and said, do you have any secondhand 117 00:06:53,160 --> 00:06:56,000 Speaker 1: seven four sevens for sale? We started with one second 118 00:06:56,040 --> 00:06:59,440 Speaker 1: hand seven four seven against British Airways three hundred planes 119 00:06:59,480 --> 00:07:03,920 Speaker 1: and pan M and t w Aree planes. British Airways 120 00:07:04,160 --> 00:07:08,240 Speaker 1: launched a dirty tricks campaign against US, which and they 121 00:07:08,279 --> 00:07:10,320 Speaker 1: did everything they could to drive us out of business, 122 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:14,480 Speaker 1: and we took them to court. We won the biggest 123 00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:19,400 Speaker 1: damages in British history. It was Christmas time. We gave it. 124 00:07:19,440 --> 00:07:24,040 Speaker 1: We distributed to all our staff equally and so we 125 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:26,520 Speaker 1: I think that every year they hope the British Airways 126 00:07:26,560 --> 00:07:29,600 Speaker 1: will launch a dirty tricks campaign against us. People like 127 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:32,960 Speaker 1: the fact that you were against the establishment airline. And well, 128 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:36,120 Speaker 1: one time I read that new uh that the what's 129 00:07:36,160 --> 00:07:38,200 Speaker 1: now called the Eye? I guess it's the big ferris 130 00:07:38,280 --> 00:07:41,880 Speaker 1: wheel in London. The British air was supporting it, and 131 00:07:41,920 --> 00:07:44,000 Speaker 1: they couldn't get it assemble and they couldn't actually get 132 00:07:44,040 --> 00:07:48,040 Speaker 1: the thing to work. And you rented a sort of blimp. 133 00:07:48,560 --> 00:07:51,920 Speaker 1: We actually had a little blimp company just outside London, 134 00:07:52,040 --> 00:07:55,360 Speaker 1: and we scrambled the blimp and we flew over the 135 00:07:55,440 --> 00:07:58,200 Speaker 1: over the Eye that was still lying flat on the ground, 136 00:07:58,440 --> 00:08:01,000 Speaker 1: and they're all the world's pressed there to watch this 137 00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:04,240 Speaker 1: I being erected and always said was you know, be 138 00:08:04,360 --> 00:08:06,960 Speaker 1: a can't get it up on the side of the airship. 139 00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:09,640 Speaker 1: So how did the newspapers were able? We we got 140 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:12,520 Speaker 1: we got we got the headlines they didn't. So it 141 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:15,360 Speaker 1: turned out pretty well and then you began building other 142 00:08:15,400 --> 00:08:17,720 Speaker 1: companies and you always think that the name Virgin and 143 00:08:17,760 --> 00:08:23,600 Speaker 1: your creativity could get them off the ground. Well, uh, again, 144 00:08:24,680 --> 00:08:27,679 Speaker 1: the only reason we would go into a new sector 145 00:08:27,920 --> 00:08:30,240 Speaker 1: is if we felt it was being badly run by 146 00:08:30,280 --> 00:08:33,600 Speaker 1: other people. So the reason we went into trains was 147 00:08:33,640 --> 00:08:38,800 Speaker 1: the government were running trains. British Rail was dilapidated trains, 148 00:08:39,960 --> 00:08:43,440 Speaker 1: you know, a miserable service, and we just felt, you know, 149 00:08:43,480 --> 00:08:46,000 Speaker 1: we could we could go in, We could get fantastic 150 00:08:46,520 --> 00:08:49,920 Speaker 1: rail stock, we could motivate the staff, and we could 151 00:08:49,920 --> 00:08:52,640 Speaker 1: make a big difference. And so we took over you know, 152 00:08:52,679 --> 00:08:55,520 Speaker 1: the busiest line in Britain, the West Coast main Line, 153 00:08:56,400 --> 00:08:59,280 Speaker 1: and we've gone from eight million passengers to nearly forty 154 00:08:59,320 --> 00:09:03,840 Speaker 1: million messengers and and you know, I think transformed the 155 00:09:03,880 --> 00:09:08,199 Speaker 1: experience for people. And you know, in every in every 156 00:09:08,280 --> 00:09:11,080 Speaker 1: new sector that we've gone into, we we we've we've 157 00:09:11,160 --> 00:09:14,600 Speaker 1: we've seen you know, a gaping gap in the market 158 00:09:14,679 --> 00:09:16,840 Speaker 1: where the big guys have not been doing it very 159 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:19,679 Speaker 1: well and where we can come in and shake up 160 00:09:19,679 --> 00:09:21,760 Speaker 1: an industry. How many companies have you started with the 161 00:09:21,880 --> 00:09:25,840 Speaker 1: name Virgin? Is it a few hundred? By now it's 162 00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:28,600 Speaker 1: it's an access of three hundred three hundred and everyone. 163 00:09:28,640 --> 00:09:31,320 Speaker 1: Presumably it hasn't worked. A couple just couldn't have worked. 164 00:09:31,360 --> 00:09:33,000 Speaker 1: So when you start them and they don't work, you 165 00:09:33,080 --> 00:09:35,360 Speaker 1: just end them after a year or so or yeah, 166 00:09:35,440 --> 00:09:38,280 Speaker 1: I mean, but none of them have ever been filed 167 00:09:38,280 --> 00:09:41,079 Speaker 1: for bankruptcy. We've been fortunate. We've never had a bankrupt company. 168 00:09:41,120 --> 00:09:44,040 Speaker 1: And if something doesn't work out, well, you know, we'll 169 00:09:44,440 --> 00:09:46,400 Speaker 1: we'll make sure that we settle all the debts and 170 00:09:46,440 --> 00:09:49,480 Speaker 1: then move on to the next company. Is there something 171 00:09:49,520 --> 00:09:51,800 Speaker 1: in your life you haven't achieved that you'd like to achieve. 172 00:09:52,280 --> 00:09:57,360 Speaker 1: We've spent fourteen years working on on our space program 173 00:09:57,440 --> 00:10:01,680 Speaker 1: and it's been tough, and and and and spaces space 174 00:10:01,800 --> 00:10:07,439 Speaker 1: is tough. It is rocket starce and uh. And you know, 175 00:10:07,480 --> 00:10:10,720 Speaker 1: I think we were on the verge of finally fulfilling 176 00:10:10,840 --> 00:10:15,920 Speaker 1: fulfilling that dream. And you know, before the end of 177 00:10:15,960 --> 00:10:18,200 Speaker 1: the year, I hope, I hope to be you know, 178 00:10:18,559 --> 00:10:22,360 Speaker 1: sitting in a Virgin galactic spaceship going to space. You've 179 00:10:22,360 --> 00:10:24,880 Speaker 1: got about two hundred thousand people were maybe more now 180 00:10:24,920 --> 00:10:29,320 Speaker 1: that signed up. Um, are they still they're ready to go? Well, 181 00:10:29,480 --> 00:10:32,720 Speaker 1: I mean actually signed up and and paid up. It's 182 00:10:32,760 --> 00:10:35,840 Speaker 1: about eight hundred's a clash to pay up it's two 183 00:10:35,920 --> 00:10:38,520 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty dollars, you know, I mean there are 184 00:10:38,640 --> 00:10:42,800 Speaker 1: there's about fifty people watching this program would love to 185 00:10:42,800 --> 00:10:46,000 Speaker 1: go to space, and there's about fifty who think that, 186 00:10:46,120 --> 00:10:47,720 Speaker 1: you know, these people are mad? What on earth did 187 00:10:47,720 --> 00:10:50,720 Speaker 1: they want to go to space? Four? But the market 188 00:10:50,760 --> 00:10:53,800 Speaker 1: of people who want to go to space is gigantic, 189 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:57,800 Speaker 1: and and we hope to be able to, you know, 190 00:10:57,840 --> 00:10:59,920 Speaker 1: to satisfy quite a few of those people. Think you 191 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:01,640 Speaker 1: can make a profit on this in the end, or 192 00:11:01,640 --> 00:11:05,040 Speaker 1: is it really just a lot of doing this? So 193 00:11:05,480 --> 00:11:08,080 Speaker 1: I never go into a venture with the idea of 194 00:11:08,120 --> 00:11:10,680 Speaker 1: making a profit. You know, if you can create the 195 00:11:10,760 --> 00:11:14,520 Speaker 1: best in its field, generally speaking, you'll find that you'll 196 00:11:14,559 --> 00:11:17,280 Speaker 1: pay the bills and you'll make a profit. So the 197 00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:19,320 Speaker 1: way as I understand it works, it's not like a 198 00:11:19,440 --> 00:11:22,480 Speaker 1: rocket goes off. You have an airplane and attached to 199 00:11:22,559 --> 00:11:25,400 Speaker 1: it as another airplane, and the one that separates goes 200 00:11:25,440 --> 00:11:27,920 Speaker 1: in the outer space, is that right? The one that 201 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:32,400 Speaker 1: drops will then fire its rocket and you'll go about 202 00:11:32,760 --> 00:11:36,280 Speaker 1: not to ten seconds. You'll be traveling at three thousand 203 00:11:36,280 --> 00:11:40,959 Speaker 1: miles and our int into space, and then how long 204 00:11:40,960 --> 00:11:42,880 Speaker 1: would you be in space under the ride that you're 205 00:11:43,600 --> 00:11:47,760 Speaker 1: so the whole experience would be something like three hours. 206 00:11:48,040 --> 00:11:50,240 Speaker 1: So will you be on the first flight. I'll be 207 00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:53,960 Speaker 1: on the first official flight. We've got. We've got very 208 00:11:54,000 --> 00:12:00,600 Speaker 1: brave um astronauts who effectually test pilots who are uh, 209 00:12:00,679 --> 00:12:03,199 Speaker 1: you know, testing the craft time and time again and 210 00:12:03,440 --> 00:12:07,480 Speaker 1: and ironing out anything that can go wrong before myself 211 00:12:07,520 --> 00:12:10,160 Speaker 1: and members of the public going. So I'm sure it'll 212 00:12:10,200 --> 00:12:12,600 Speaker 1: be shape. But one time, when you were doing hot 213 00:12:12,640 --> 00:12:16,040 Speaker 1: air ballooning, you weren't sure whether you would survive with 214 00:12:16,080 --> 00:12:21,480 Speaker 1: the ballooning adventures. I was doing something that that nobody 215 00:12:21,480 --> 00:12:26,800 Speaker 1: had done before. I was trying to fly across the 216 00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:29,319 Speaker 1: Atlantic or the Pacific, or go around the world in 217 00:12:29,600 --> 00:12:33,920 Speaker 1: a in a balloon. I was flying at forty feet 218 00:12:33,960 --> 00:12:36,880 Speaker 1: in the jet stream, you know, with one with one 219 00:12:36,880 --> 00:12:43,080 Speaker 1: other person pay INSTRUANDU and uh and you know, the 220 00:12:43,160 --> 00:12:47,120 Speaker 1: technology was completely unproven. There were we were the test pilots. 221 00:12:47,200 --> 00:12:49,120 Speaker 1: That was more dangerous. Things could go wrong, and they 222 00:12:49,160 --> 00:12:50,840 Speaker 1: did go right. And you said a number of Guinness 223 00:12:50,880 --> 00:12:53,440 Speaker 1: World Records for that. But in hindsight, do you have 224 00:12:53,520 --> 00:12:57,400 Speaker 1: any regrets about taking those risks on the hot air balloon. 225 00:12:58,480 --> 00:13:04,760 Speaker 1: It's interesting. You know, my son and daughter now setting 226 00:13:04,800 --> 00:13:08,480 Speaker 1: themselves big adventures every year, dragging their dad along on 227 00:13:08,559 --> 00:13:10,000 Speaker 1: some of them, you know. And I think as a 228 00:13:10,040 --> 00:13:13,120 Speaker 1: family we feel, you know, live life, live life to 229 00:13:13,240 --> 00:13:17,240 Speaker 1: it's full and and you know you can, you can, 230 00:13:19,280 --> 00:13:22,319 Speaker 1: you know you can, you can. You can die in 231 00:13:22,360 --> 00:13:25,280 Speaker 1: a road accident, you can dine just a normal bike ride. 232 00:13:25,920 --> 00:13:30,079 Speaker 1: And quite often when you're actually completely focused on an adventure, 233 00:13:31,120 --> 00:13:33,800 Speaker 1: the it's less likely in some way that you're going 234 00:13:33,840 --> 00:13:37,120 Speaker 1: to die in an adventure because you're you're you're ready 235 00:13:37,120 --> 00:13:40,160 Speaker 1: and sharp and know how to deal with it. So 236 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:42,679 Speaker 1: you're very well recognized for all the things you've done 237 00:13:42,679 --> 00:13:45,840 Speaker 1: around the world. Also, your hair and your gotee are 238 00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:50,080 Speaker 1: probably well recognized. So did this always have you had 239 00:13:50,080 --> 00:13:52,679 Speaker 1: a gotee most of your adult wife and your hair 240 00:13:52,800 --> 00:13:56,680 Speaker 1: is always this length. I've I've been a hippie ever 241 00:13:56,720 --> 00:14:04,600 Speaker 1: since i was uh fifty years old and uh and 242 00:14:05,080 --> 00:14:07,000 Speaker 1: and I've had a beard pretty well ever since I 243 00:14:07,080 --> 00:14:11,520 Speaker 1: was fifteen sixteen years old. So I shaved it off 244 00:14:11,600 --> 00:14:15,600 Speaker 1: once when we launched a company called Virgin Brides, and 245 00:14:15,640 --> 00:14:17,880 Speaker 1: I put my foot a bride a bridal dress on 246 00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:23,080 Speaker 1: and and and anyway gave gave people a good laugh, 247 00:14:23,400 --> 00:14:26,520 Speaker 1: and we found there weren't any virgin bride, so that 248 00:14:26,560 --> 00:14:30,760 Speaker 1: business didn't succeed for very long. But then, or maybe 249 00:14:30,760 --> 00:14:33,520 Speaker 1: it was the fact that I didn't look the most 250 00:14:33,520 --> 00:14:36,640 Speaker 1: secy bride. So now you were a sir, you're knighted. 251 00:14:36,960 --> 00:14:39,440 Speaker 1: Um did you ever expect to be a member of 252 00:14:39,520 --> 00:14:42,280 Speaker 1: royalty and effect or knighted? We once put out a 253 00:14:42,360 --> 00:14:45,640 Speaker 1: record called God Saved the Queen by the Sex Pistols 254 00:14:47,040 --> 00:14:51,640 Speaker 1: on the Silver Jubilee, and and and then I found 255 00:14:51,680 --> 00:14:55,720 Speaker 1: myself twenty five years later being knighted. And I was 256 00:14:55,760 --> 00:14:58,560 Speaker 1: slightly nervous if she, if she had remembered the words 257 00:14:58,600 --> 00:15:00,760 Speaker 1: on the record that that, you know, it would have 258 00:15:00,760 --> 00:15:03,000 Speaker 1: been a slice, a slice of the head rather than 259 00:15:03,040 --> 00:15:06,800 Speaker 1: a top on the shoulder. But she, she, she was, 260 00:15:06,920 --> 00:15:09,160 Speaker 1: she she forgave us. Anyway. This wasn't done in the 261 00:15:09,160 --> 00:15:11,880 Speaker 1: Tower of London, I guess. So fortunately it wasn't done 262 00:15:11,920 --> 00:15:13,680 Speaker 1: in the Tower of London. For those that may not 263 00:15:13,840 --> 00:15:16,800 Speaker 1: know about Neckar Island, so I understand it. In the 264 00:15:16,840 --> 00:15:20,200 Speaker 1: late nineties seventies there was an opportunity to buy an 265 00:15:20,280 --> 00:15:23,240 Speaker 1: island in the British Virgin islands. Yeah, I mean, I 266 00:15:23,600 --> 00:15:28,280 Speaker 1: they wanted five billion dollars for this beautiful island. I 267 00:15:28,480 --> 00:15:31,240 Speaker 1: thought I could scrape together about a hundred thousands. I 268 00:15:31,360 --> 00:15:35,560 Speaker 1: offered a hundred thousand um. Nobody else, fortunately came to 269 00:15:35,600 --> 00:15:37,480 Speaker 1: see the island. So yeah, later they said, if I 270 00:15:37,560 --> 00:15:40,560 Speaker 1: make it a hundred and twenty thousand, we'd have an island. 271 00:15:40,720 --> 00:15:44,080 Speaker 1: And I went. I went everywhere to borrow, borrow, and 272 00:15:44,080 --> 00:15:47,480 Speaker 1: beg to get that hundred and twenty thousand, and and 273 00:15:47,520 --> 00:15:51,360 Speaker 1: we ended up with the most beautiful island in the world. 274 00:15:51,600 --> 00:15:53,920 Speaker 1: So you've built a house there, and there's also a resort. 275 00:15:54,480 --> 00:15:58,360 Speaker 1: I mean, Necker has become it is our home. It's 276 00:15:59,080 --> 00:16:01,440 Speaker 1: you know, a magical place, and you know, we have 277 00:16:02,160 --> 00:16:07,800 Speaker 1: fantastic get together as the people, and sometimes you know 278 00:16:08,160 --> 00:16:11,320 Speaker 1: conferences there where we where we try to you know, 279 00:16:11,520 --> 00:16:14,920 Speaker 1: sort of sort out the problems of the world, or 280 00:16:15,040 --> 00:16:17,040 Speaker 1: just people come on holiday into you know, you had 281 00:16:17,080 --> 00:16:19,840 Speaker 1: booked the whole island. Barack Obama Michelle Obama managed to 282 00:16:19,880 --> 00:16:23,240 Speaker 1: go to neckar Alon. He was good enough to invite 283 00:16:23,280 --> 00:16:26,520 Speaker 1: me to the overall office for lunch about three months 284 00:16:26,520 --> 00:16:29,080 Speaker 1: before he stepped down, and we had a lovely lunch. 285 00:16:29,200 --> 00:16:33,720 Speaker 1: We're basically agree with each other on most most aspects 286 00:16:33,760 --> 00:16:36,000 Speaker 1: of life. So I guess he was a nice house cash. 287 00:16:36,280 --> 00:16:41,520 Speaker 1: Both of them and are abstutely delightful and uh, you know, 288 00:16:41,560 --> 00:16:43,880 Speaker 1: and I think, you know, we we had a fun 289 00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:47,480 Speaker 1: competition and anyway, he beat me. He learned to kite 290 00:16:47,760 --> 00:16:52,520 Speaker 1: and before I could foil board, and uh, and you 291 00:16:52,560 --> 00:16:56,280 Speaker 1: know they yeah, I mean, it was a great privilege 292 00:16:56,320 --> 00:16:57,880 Speaker 1: to spend time with them. And you've met a lot 293 00:16:57,920 --> 00:16:59,920 Speaker 1: of great leaders. You've brought a lot of them together 294 00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:03,520 Speaker 1: something called the Elders, which are people like Nelson Mandel 295 00:17:03,560 --> 00:17:05,720 Speaker 1: and others who were great leaders in their time. You 296 00:17:05,760 --> 00:17:08,639 Speaker 1: were very close to Nelson Mandela, very close. I was 297 00:17:08,960 --> 00:17:11,960 Speaker 1: very lucky that for for ten years we we knew 298 00:17:11,960 --> 00:17:14,600 Speaker 1: each other very well. And you know, so we set 299 00:17:14,640 --> 00:17:18,200 Speaker 1: up the Elders, which twelve incredible men and women who 300 00:17:18,359 --> 00:17:21,639 Speaker 1: go into conflicts and try to resolve conflicts. Um. And 301 00:17:21,680 --> 00:17:23,720 Speaker 1: if you have, you know, conflicts, I think maybe the 302 00:17:23,720 --> 00:17:26,520 Speaker 1: most important thing, because if you have a conflict, everything 303 00:17:26,680 --> 00:17:29,840 Speaker 1: else breaks down. What is it that makes great leadership 304 00:17:29,840 --> 00:17:33,360 Speaker 1: in your view? I think being being a really good 305 00:17:33,359 --> 00:17:36,120 Speaker 1: listener is one of the key things. And I think 306 00:17:36,920 --> 00:17:39,600 Speaker 1: when I when I sit around, you know, listening to 307 00:17:39,680 --> 00:17:43,840 Speaker 1: the elders talk and elders meetings. UM. You know you 308 00:17:43,840 --> 00:17:46,720 Speaker 1: you realize that you know why they've become elders is 309 00:17:46,760 --> 00:17:50,800 Speaker 1: because you know they've spent their lifetime listening and absorbing 310 00:17:51,040 --> 00:17:56,439 Speaker 1: and uh. And then you know only only speaking you know, 311 00:17:56,560 --> 00:18:02,080 Speaker 1: you know, choosing their words carefully. I think, uh, loving people, 312 00:18:02,240 --> 00:18:05,119 Speaker 1: I mean I think you know, a genuine love of 313 00:18:05,200 --> 00:18:09,040 Speaker 1: a genuine love of everybody you know. Um. Uh and 314 00:18:09,359 --> 00:18:11,280 Speaker 1: you know, looking for the best in people. I mean 315 00:18:11,320 --> 00:18:15,439 Speaker 1: even you know, even if uh there there being a pain. Um, 316 00:18:15,720 --> 00:18:18,240 Speaker 1: you know, you can normally find the best in in 317 00:18:18,280 --> 00:18:21,359 Speaker 1: pretty well anybody. So when you're a business and leader, 318 00:18:21,400 --> 00:18:23,480 Speaker 1: If you're a business leader, somebody's watching this and wants 319 00:18:23,480 --> 00:18:26,040 Speaker 1: to be Richard Branson for sure, Richard Branson. What is 320 00:18:26,080 --> 00:18:32,040 Speaker 1: the key? Um, Surrounding yourself with great people, um, Learning 321 00:18:32,040 --> 00:18:39,000 Speaker 1: to delegate early on, not trying to do everything yourself. Uh. 322 00:18:39,040 --> 00:18:41,000 Speaker 1: You know, making sure you've got the kind of people 323 00:18:41,040 --> 00:18:44,840 Speaker 1: that are praising the team around them, not criticizing the people. Um. 324 00:18:45,880 --> 00:18:51,639 Speaker 1: Uh and uh and you know, having people who are 325 00:18:51,640 --> 00:18:54,399 Speaker 1: willing to um you know, to to really innovate, be 326 00:18:54,520 --> 00:18:57,840 Speaker 1: bold and create something which everybody who works with the 327 00:18:57,840 --> 00:19:00,320 Speaker 1: company can be really proud of now. One of the 328 00:19:00,760 --> 00:19:02,719 Speaker 1: great things about your life, as you've had a terrific 329 00:19:02,720 --> 00:19:04,840 Speaker 1: family life. You've been married for more than forty years. 330 00:19:05,600 --> 00:19:07,520 Speaker 1: Where did you meet your wife? I met her in 331 00:19:07,560 --> 00:19:10,920 Speaker 1: a recording studio called The Manner In which is the 332 00:19:11,000 --> 00:19:13,560 Speaker 1: studio we had in the UK. Was it love at 333 00:19:13,560 --> 00:19:16,240 Speaker 1: first sight? Er? It was from my point, It was 334 00:19:16,280 --> 00:19:18,280 Speaker 1: just that she was making a cup of tea. I 335 00:19:18,280 --> 00:19:21,600 Speaker 1: looked across the room and I was absolutely smitten. And 336 00:19:21,600 --> 00:19:25,440 Speaker 1: then she was with with somebody else. I had to. 337 00:19:25,119 --> 00:19:29,280 Speaker 1: I had to. I'm afraid, Chase said. And my nick 338 00:19:29,400 --> 00:19:33,000 Speaker 1: nickname became tag Along because a friend who worked at 339 00:19:33,040 --> 00:19:35,840 Speaker 1: Virgin knew her and I would ask her if I 340 00:19:35,880 --> 00:19:38,280 Speaker 1: could tag along when when she was getting out to dinner. 341 00:19:38,480 --> 00:19:41,240 Speaker 1: What worked out? And you have two children who you're 342 00:19:41,320 --> 00:19:44,240 Speaker 1: very close to. I always think it's important if somebody 343 00:19:44,320 --> 00:19:47,080 Speaker 1: successful can can do this while their parents are alive. 344 00:19:47,520 --> 00:19:50,240 Speaker 1: And your father died a few years ago, but he 345 00:19:50,320 --> 00:19:54,879 Speaker 1: lived to be a Uh, your mother is still alive. 346 00:19:55,280 --> 00:19:57,640 Speaker 1: What was it like having your parents see your success 347 00:19:58,240 --> 00:20:01,359 Speaker 1: and look at it was? It was wonderful to be 348 00:20:01,920 --> 00:20:05,040 Speaker 1: able to share it with them, and my mom. You 349 00:20:05,040 --> 00:20:07,400 Speaker 1: know that my first two hundred dollars that I've got 350 00:20:07,480 --> 00:20:09,800 Speaker 1: to start my business. My mom found a necklace and 351 00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:13,080 Speaker 1: went to the police station, handed it in and nobody 352 00:20:13,080 --> 00:20:15,119 Speaker 1: claimed it, and she got to managed to set it 353 00:20:15,160 --> 00:20:17,159 Speaker 1: for two hundred dollars, and that was, you know, that 354 00:20:17,240 --> 00:20:21,040 Speaker 1: was the critical money that help help me start and 355 00:20:21,480 --> 00:20:24,000 Speaker 1: which we've managed to sort of share. You know, this 356 00:20:24,359 --> 00:20:26,600 Speaker 1: wonder wonderful life that I'd be lucky enough to lead 357 00:20:26,640 --> 00:20:30,400 Speaker 1: with with them and and with my mother, we still 358 00:20:30,440 --> 00:20:32,960 Speaker 1: do in the philanthropic world. What would you say is 359 00:20:32,960 --> 00:20:36,920 Speaker 1: the thing you're most focused on in the philanthropic humanitarian area, 360 00:20:37,320 --> 00:20:39,160 Speaker 1: were there's a little bit of a sort of serial 361 00:20:40,280 --> 00:20:42,840 Speaker 1: philanthropists in the same way that you know, we just 362 00:20:43,320 --> 00:20:46,560 Speaker 1: we were a serial entrepreneur, and and that I find 363 00:20:46,560 --> 00:20:50,720 Speaker 1: it difficult saying no to projects that I feel are important. 364 00:20:50,840 --> 00:20:52,439 Speaker 1: Did you ever think when you were growing up that 365 00:20:52,520 --> 00:20:55,640 Speaker 1: you'd be wealthy enough to give away staggering some some money. 366 00:20:56,240 --> 00:21:01,720 Speaker 1: I said that certainly never dreamed that that that you know, 367 00:21:01,720 --> 00:21:05,000 Speaker 1: that the incredible dream of my life would would it 368 00:21:05,000 --> 00:21:08,639 Speaker 1: would have actually happened, and that uh, and that that 369 00:21:08,680 --> 00:21:12,280 Speaker 1: would one day be in a position to to make 370 00:21:12,440 --> 00:21:14,720 Speaker 1: you know, hopefully make a difference. So many times people 371 00:21:14,720 --> 00:21:18,080 Speaker 1: who become financially successful and otherwise we're well known, they 372 00:21:18,119 --> 00:21:20,520 Speaker 1: seem to be unhappy for some reason. But you seem 373 00:21:20,600 --> 00:21:23,680 Speaker 1: to be a very happy person, very content. Is that 374 00:21:23,800 --> 00:21:28,320 Speaker 1: a fair assessment? Um, I just think it would be. 375 00:21:28,960 --> 00:21:30,680 Speaker 1: I'd be a very sad person if I wasn't a 376 00:21:30,760 --> 00:21:34,520 Speaker 1: very happy person. I mean, I've been blessed to have 377 00:21:34,640 --> 00:21:39,720 Speaker 1: a absolutely lovely, lovely lady. Were complete opposites, but you 378 00:21:39,760 --> 00:21:42,680 Speaker 1: know we get on great. Um, you know, blessed to 379 00:21:43,240 --> 00:21:47,080 Speaker 1: have been together most of our lives, blessed to have 380 00:21:47,119 --> 00:21:51,879 Speaker 1: wonderful children, wonderful grandchildren and h And every day I'm learning, 381 00:21:52,040 --> 00:21:55,439 Speaker 1: you know, I mean I didn't I see life as 382 00:21:55,440 --> 00:21:59,119 Speaker 1: the one long university education I never had. I'm learning 383 00:21:59,440 --> 00:22:02,359 Speaker 1: something new from you know, getting out there, listening to people, 384 00:22:02,440 --> 00:22:08,560 Speaker 1: and and you know, I've scribbled everything down and and 385 00:22:09,320 --> 00:22:12,199 Speaker 1: I feel like I am a perpetual student. Let me 386 00:22:12,200 --> 00:22:14,480 Speaker 1: ask you a question I've asked Bill Gates. Do you 387 00:22:14,480 --> 00:22:16,399 Speaker 1: think you could have been more successful in life if 388 00:22:16,400 --> 00:22:21,480 Speaker 1: you had a university degree? Obviously it couldn't be more successful. 389 00:22:21,520 --> 00:22:26,400 Speaker 1: And no, I I mean the age forty, I turned 390 00:22:26,440 --> 00:22:28,280 Speaker 1: to my wife and said, I think I might give 391 00:22:28,320 --> 00:22:31,960 Speaker 1: everything up and go to university. And she turned to 392 00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:34,560 Speaker 1: me and said, you just want to go and chat 393 00:22:34,640 --> 00:22:36,600 Speaker 1: up those young ladies at the university. You go straight 394 00:22:36,600 --> 00:22:39,160 Speaker 1: back to work. And it was good advice.