give me a time line of riched 111
7/28/2025 12:40am
Richard Branson's entrepreneurial journey spans several decades, and his ventures have significantly shaped the Virgin Group's expansion and influence. Below is a concise timeline of key events in Branson's career:
1. **Early Beginnings (1966-1979)**
- **1966**: Branson starts his first successful business, a magazine called Student, which launches in January 1968.
- **1970**: He begins selling records by mail-order and later opens his first record shop on Oxford Street in 1971.
- **1972**: Virgin Recording Studio is established, and the Virgin Records label is launched in 1973.
- **1979**: Branson buys the gay nightclub Heaven, which was sold in 2003.
2. **Expansion and Diversification (1980-1985)**
- **1980**: Virgin Records goes international, and the Virgin Group starts to diversify its operations.
- **1981**: Virgin acquires the Kensington Roof Gardens.
- **1983**: Virgin Vision is formed to distribute films and videos, and Virgin Games is launched.
- **1984**: Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Cargo are launched, and Virgin Vision introduces "Music Box", a 24-hour satellite music station.
- **1985**: The Virgin Group encompasses a wide range of businesses, including record labels, retail, music publishing, broadcasting, satellite television, and film distribution.
3. **Space and Technology Ventures (1987-1992)**
- **1987**: Virgin sets up 525, a post-production facility in Los Angeles, for high-end commercials and pop videos.
- **1992**: Virgin Music Group sells to Thorn EMI, and Branson sells Virgin Records for $1 billion due to financial pressures from a legal battle with British Airways.
4. **Global Expansion and Brand Development (1993-2003)**
- **1993**: Virgin Atlantic faces challenges, including a legal battle with British Airways, which leads to Branson's sale of Virgin Records.
- **1998**: Virgin Books publishes Branson's first autobiography, "Losing My Virginity."
- **1999**: Virgin Mobile launches in the UK, marking the beginning of international expansion.
- **2000-2002**: Virgin Mobile expands to various countries, including the US, Canada, and Australia.
5. **Space Tourism and Recent Developments (2003-2023)**
- **2003**: Branson announces the setting up of Virgin Galactic, focused on space tourism.
- **2010**: Virgin Galactic completes its first fully crewed spaceflight.
- **2021**: Branson, aged 71, becomes the third oldest person to fly to space on a Virgin Galactic suborbital test flight.
- **2023**: Forbes lists Branson's net worth at $3 billion.
This timeline highlights Branson's evolution from a magazine publisher to a diversified entrepreneur with a focus on media, music, aviation, and space exploration. His ventures have not only been marked by success but also by strategic adjustments in response to challenges and market shifts.