Richard Branson is Founder of the Virgin Group. Virgin is one of the world's most irresistible brands and has expanded into many diverse sectors from travel to telecommunications, health to banking and music to leisure. Having started Virgin as a mail order record retailer in 1970, Richard founded Virgin Records.

The billionaire founder of the Virgin Group, which includes Virgin Atlantic and various other travel brands, is Sir Richard Branson. An English business magnate and adventurer, Branson started his empire in the 1970s with a mail-order record business that eventually became Virgin Records. He launched Virgin Atlantic in 1984 to challenge the dominance of British Airways, famously using a single leased Boeing 747 for its inaugural flight. Known for his flamboyant marketing stunts and adventurous spirit, Branson has expanded the "Virgin" brand into hundreds of companies, including telecommunications, health, and space travel via Virgin Galactic. In 1999, he was knighted at Buckingham Palace for his services to entrepreneurship. As of 2026, he remains one of the most recognizable and influential figures in global business, frequently advocating for sustainable aviation and using his platform to promote business as a force for good.