Sir Richard Branson

Sir Richard Branson

“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.”(Christopher Reeves). This quote describes Sir Richard Branson’s early struggles. Richard was born July 18, 1950 to a modest family who lived in the county of Surrey in England. His father, Edward James Branson, worked as a barrister. His mother, Eve Branson, was employed as a flight attendant. When Richard was only 4, his parents left him in a field and told him to find his own way home. After sometime, a neighboring farmer found Richard extremely tired from the rush of being free (Mossman). Branson struggled with dyslexia everyday of his life. The dyslexia affected his academics. When Richard was 16, he dropped out of school. The early struggles he faced made him a strong fighter for his success. After he dropped out of school, he soon started a young activist magazine called Student. In 1970, Richard moved on to a new business venture and started a mail order record business. He made enough money to expand to a record store. In 1972 he built a studio where he recorded Mike Oldfield’s single ‘Tubular Bells’. After the single was an instant hit, he saw something in this younger group that nobody else would sign. So, he took a chance and signed the Sex Pistols. Big name signings like this kept happening with the Rolling Stones, Culture Club, A-Ha and ZZ Top. In 1980, with all the money he made, he started an airplane company with one leased plane that went from England to Newark. Four years later he created his official airline named Virgin Atlantic. In 1991 Branson crossed the Pacific Ocean in a hot air balloon. Richard is an avid skier and speedboat racer, in addition to his skydiving and ballooning exploits. In order keep his Airline running, he sold the record company to Thorn-EMI in 1992 for a billion dollars! Determined to be in the music industry in 1993 he began Virgin Radio. In 1996 Richard Branson founded a new record company named V2 (Sir Richard Branson). Branson created Virgin Trains in 1997. He started Virgin Trains because England’s trains were getting old and boring and hoped to add a modern twist to England’s train system. In September of 2006 Richard pledged all the profits from Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Trains to research to help create an environmentally-friendly fuel. The pledge was an estimated 3 billion dollars (Mossman). In February 2007 Branson announced the Virgin Earth Challenge to raise money and awareness about global warming (Garreffa). As seen through his the dare devil stunts to the risky business behavior, Richard Branson still has time to be unselfish, helpful and globally aware. This is what makes Sir Richard Branson a hero.

Sir Richard Branson in front of his Virgin Alanti

Every hero must earn the right to be called a hero. Richard Branson’s is unselfishness. This is a big trait which Branson has conquered. “The Virgin Earth Challenge is a $25 million dollar competition to encourage research into ways to fight global warming” (Mossman). This is an act of unselfishness because he didn’t have to do this challenge for the cause he could have just kept the money all for himself. Also it’s a large amount. He’s also not thinking about himself because the research for global warming won’t really help his generation, it will more likely help my generation and younger. He’s a good man for doing this. “Branson also pledged to invest the profits of Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Trains to research for environmentally friendly fuel. The investment is an estimated $3 billion dollars” (Sir Richard Branson). This is a huge investment and will surely not earn him as much money. Richard Branson is saving our earth with lots of money for research for our children’s future and not his. It is totally unselfish.

Virgin Unite

Richard Branson is also helpful. When Branson opened Virgin Unite in September 2004 he was trying to, “Raise Money and awareness to help defeat on a global problem like AIDS, HIV, and Malaria/tuberculosis” (What We Do, Virgin Unite). Richard Branson is helpful. He doesn’t have any of those diseases but he still wants to stop them. Richard Branson is also helpful with the environment. “He announced plans for an eco-resort in the British Virgin Islands. Mosquito Island, as it was to be called, was to be powered by wind turbines and solar panels and feature local organic food”. He is spending extra money on wind turbines, solar panels and organic food. He added millions of dollars to the cost of the resort. With the diseases and the billion dollar resort Richard Branson is a caring person for just about everything.

Richard Branson helping in Africa

Richard Branson is globally aware. He thinks about the world on a global scale every day. Richard Branson created a foundation named Virgin Unite. “Virgin Unite was made to make sustainable change through economic development towards tough social and environmental issues. These include addressing the issue of delivering healthcare to rural parts of Africa. In the United States, Virgin Unite is focusing on global warming and rehabilitating homeless children” (Virgin Unite What We Do). He is globally aware because he thinks about third world countries like Africa, China and the South America. He also helps more established countries like the United States, Canada and Europe. He’s doing a good thing by addressing issues that aren’t in his own country but in other parts of the world. Another part of Virgin Unite is a division helping the world with their wisdom, called The Elders. “The Elders is a group who have the trust of the world, who can speak freely, be fiercely independent and respond fast and flexibly in conflict situations” (Virgin Unite the Elders). He is trying to help the world in many ways. The Elders is a good way to help the world because its people who are trying to make a difference. Branson has made Virgin to be globally aware.

Richard Branson

“Ridiculous yachts and private planes and big limousines won't make people enjoy life more, and it sends out terrible messages to the people who work for them. It would be so much better if that money was spent in Africa - and it's about getting a balance” (Richard Branson). Through Branson’s inspiring words of wisdom it would make a person better if they listened to him. He is globally aware on a daily basis; He cares about mankind and is unselfish with all his generous donations. He is an inspiration to all through his work and his actions outside of work. “Right now I'm just delighted to be alive and to have had a nice long bath” (Richard Branson). He lives life by the horns, takes it day by day and is innovative. He is inspirational to all through his actions and his business ideas. He also helps defeat many issues in the world. This is what makes him my inspiration to help and do something about issues in the world. Richard Branson is my hero.

Works Consulted

"Branson, Richard (1950-)." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Ed. Jennifer Mossman. Vol. 19. 2nd ed. Detroit: Gale Group, 1999. Student Resource Center - Gold. Gale. DEL NORTE HIGH SCHOOL. 18 May. 2010

"Branson, Richard (1950-)." Contemporary Newsmakers. Ed. Peter M. Gareffa. Detroit: Gale Research, 1987. Student Resource Center - Gold. Gale. DEL NORTE HIGH SCHOOL. 18 May. 2010

"Sir Richard Branson." 2010. Biography http://www.biography.com/articles/Sir-Richard-Branson-9224520.

"What we do." Virgin Unite. Virgin, September 2004. Web. 18 May 2010. .

"The Elders." Virgin Unite. Virgin, September 2004. Web. 18 May 2010. .