Rebel, fearless and very competitive: all about Richard Branson, the first billionaire to travel to space in his own ship

English Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, is a typical product of “pop” culture, media, rebellious, versatile, top cultivator and enthusiast of challenges, such as space travel before Jeff Bezos, the most human. rich in the world. . world.

On the verge of turning 71, the Briton Branson traveled this Sunday aboard a space plane from his company Virgin Galactic, the VSS Unity. “Spacebending will change the world for the better,” said Branson, who has a fortune of around $ 5.9 billion and a “gentleman” (knight) title bestowed on him by Queen Elizabeth II. , in 2019.

Today, he has become the first billionaire to perform in his own ship.

Space is one of the passions, along with sailing, extreme sports and travels, of this millionaire, investor and philanthropist born July 18, 1950.

From what he said in 2019 when the Apollo 11 mission was 50 years old, watching “hypnotized” on television when man arrived on the moon on July 20, 1969 was a “turning point” for him. which influenced his way of thinking and doing business and kept him in a childlike spirit of believing that “anything is possible”.

THE ADVENTURE OF SPACE

This July 20, on the occasion of the 52nd anniversary of this important milestone, Bezos, founder and until a few days ago executive director of the giant Amazon, also intends to travel in space aboard the spacecraft. New Shepard, designed and built by his company Blue Origin.

Branson said it wasn’t what the media called the “millionaire’s space race,” but Bezos has shown he doesn’t feel good that the Briton is ahead of his trip.

In a Twitter post on Saturday, Bezos said Virgin Galatic space planes have never passed the so-called Karman Line on previous flights, so it is not accurate to say that they are traveling in it. ‘space. The creator of the world’s largest retail company has claimed that it is accepted around the world that above this imaginary line 62 miles (99.7 km) from Earth is the outer space and under the earth’s atmosphere.

Branson, who has shown a competitive spirit throughout his life and not just in business, has not responded to this just yet.

The rebellious millionaire, as he was dubbed by the media, was born into a well-to-do family and although he was not a good student, he displayed an entrepreneurial spirit from an early age.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

His first business was Student magazine at age 16, which was followed by the record label Virgin Records, which he founded in 1972 with Simon Draper and Nik Powell and revolutionized the music business from a small store located on famous Oxford Street, London. , where discounted discs were sold.

It was a different store where people met to listen to music and buy records and it became a phenomenon.

Virgin Records’ catalog included artists from various genres such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Simple Minds, Lenny Kravitz, The Smashing Pumpkins, Mike Oldfield and Tangerine Dream.

Virgin Records, a name that Branson said hinted at being new or “virgins” to the field, was sold in 1992 to multinational Thorn EMI, but by then Branson had already tried his luck in other sectors such as travel. and tourism. .

The Branson group then embarked on sectors such as health, trains, mobile telephony, audiovisual and finance., with mixed results.

The owner of this network of more than 400 companies is known worldwide for having climbed Mont Blanc for charity, attempted to cross the Pacific in a hot air balloon, sponsored a Formula 1 team or made a “cameo” in the “Friends” series. , of which he was a fanatic.

For years, he wanted to extend his interest in space adventure to others.

In 2019, he announced the merger of Virgin Galactic with the Social Capital Hedosophia (SCH) fund to create the world’s first and only commercial manned space flight company, a deal valued at $ 1.5 billion.

A COMMITTED ENTREPRENEUR

The company has ships like the one Branson will embark tomorrow with five other people at Spaceport America, a futuristic structure built in the middle of the Jornada del Muerto desert in Las Cruces (New Mexico, United States), and considered the first space to the world. airport.

More than 600 people from 60 countries have made reservations for future business trips.

For years, Branson did not live in the UK for tax reasons, and his primary residence is on Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands, which he bought in the 1970s for just $ 180,000. and which is today one of the most exclusive tourist destinations in the country. world.

Their social concerns have been translated into actions such as the donation of 3,000 million dollars to the Clinton Initiative against global warming or the organization of the concert “Venezuela Aid Live ”in Cúcuta (Colombia) to collect 100 million dollars in humanitarian aid for Venezuelans with the appeal of artists like Alejandro Sanz, Juanes or Chyno and Nacho on stage.

A friend of the late Nelson Mandela and former US President Barack Obama, Branson served on an international commission promoting change in global drug policy.

He is an advocate for equality and non-discrimination in the LGTBQ + community and has organized campaigns to help Caribbean countries affected by hurricanes or natural disasters.

In March 2000, Branson was knighted at Buckingham Palace by “Entrepreneurship services”. He is also the sponsor of several charities, including the International Rescue Corps and Prisoners Abroad, registered with the charity that supports British prisoners outside the UK.

His “Virgin Unite” foundation seeks to create nonprofit initiatives to help the world “end wars and conflict through practical solutions”.

Unlike ‘Brexit’, the UK’s exit from the European Union, Branson supported Democrat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 US presidential election and voiced his opinion on Donald Trump, who was the winner: “This is not someone who, I think we can surround ourselves with a great work team to lead the country ”.

With information from EFE

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