Richard Branson

Literally, I was in Puerto Rico sitting on an American Airlines plane trying to get to the Virgin Islands. And the pilot came on the speaker and said, very sorry, the powers that be have said there are not enough passengers on board. Can you all come back at seven o'clock in the morning? Now, I had a gorgeous girl who I just met called Joan waiting in the British Virgin Islands.

Literally, I was in Puerto Rico sitting on an American Airlines plane trying to get to the Virgin Islands. And the pilot came on the speaker and said, very sorry, the powers that be have said there are not enough passengers on board. Can you all come back at seven o'clock in the morning? Now, I had a gorgeous girl who I just met called Joan waiting in the British Virgin Islands.

And I'd been away for three weeks and I was determined to see her that night. So I went to the back of the airport and I hoped my credit card wouldn't bounce. I was only 28 years old. I gave them the credit card, hired a plane. borrowed a blackboard. And as a joke, I wrote Virgin Airlines one way, $39 to the BVI and went out to all the people who got bumped. And I sold out my first plane.

And I'd been away for three weeks and I was determined to see her that night. So I went to the back of the airport and I hoped my credit card wouldn't bounce. I was only 28 years old. I gave them the credit card, hired a plane. borrowed a blackboard. And as a joke, I wrote Virgin Airlines one way, $39 to the BVI and went out to all the people who got bumped. And I sold out my first plane.

So then the next day, having got to the BVI that night, I won't go into the details about that night. Next day, I rang Boeing and said, My name is Richard Branson. Do you have any secondhand 747s for sale? And the head salesman for Boeing said, what did you call the airline? And I said, Virgin Airlines.

So then the next day, having got to the BVI that night, I won't go into the details about that night. Next day, I rang Boeing and said, My name is Richard Branson. Do you have any secondhand 747s for sale? And the head salesman for Boeing said, what did you call the airline? And I said, Virgin Airlines.

And he said, well, look, as long as you don't call it Virgin, if you're going to get to take a plane off, I'll come and see you. Because if you call it Virgin... nobody would ever book an airline called Virgin because they would assume that you wouldn't go the whole way. So he came by. We got our first 747. That was 40 years ago this year.

And he said, well, look, as long as you don't call it Virgin, if you're going to get to take a plane off, I'll come and see you. Because if you call it Virgin... nobody would ever book an airline called Virgin because they would assume that you wouldn't go the whole way. So he came by. We got our first 747. That was 40 years ago this year.

And Virgin Atlantic was born and has been through lots of turbulence, but unbelievably is still alive and going strong despite 9-11 and the 2007-2008 crash and the COVID and it's had everything thrown at it but we've got the most wonderful team of people who work for it and people seem to love to fly it and it's been a big success story.

And Virgin Atlantic was born and has been through lots of turbulence, but unbelievably is still alive and going strong despite 9-11 and the 2007-2008 crash and the COVID and it's had everything thrown at it but we've got the most wonderful team of people who work for it and people seem to love to fly it and it's been a big success story.

I think that entrepreneurs, if you're an entrepreneur creating businesses, you can be an entrepreneur trying to solve some of the problems of the world. And I suspect most of us should be, especially as we get to a stage in our lives where we've got global reach. And so on this occasion, we saw Saddam Hussein had taken some hostages as a bargaining chip and

I think that entrepreneurs, if you're an entrepreneur creating businesses, you can be an entrepreneur trying to solve some of the problems of the world. And I suspect most of us should be, especially as we get to a stage in our lives where we've got global reach. And so on this occasion, we saw Saddam Hussein had taken some hostages as a bargaining chip and

There were kids there and there were elderly and some hostages that were very ill. And I knew the king of Jordan. I went to see him in Jordan and he wrote a letter to Saddam that I drafted and he translated it. And basically it said we'd be willing to fly in with one of our 747s full of medical supplies for his country if we could fly out with the hostages. And he agreed.

There were kids there and there were elderly and some hostages that were very ill. And I knew the king of Jordan. I went to see him in Jordan and he wrote a letter to Saddam that I drafted and he translated it. And basically it said we'd be willing to fly in with one of our 747s full of medical supplies for his country if we could fly out with the hostages. And he agreed.

flew into this very dark airport of Baghdad. We were the first plane to land there in three years. The last plane was a British Airways plane that was blown up at the end of the runway. So it was a dark and interesting night. And we met Salem at the airport and we swapped hostages for medical supplies. And then fast forward. to the second Gulf War, just as it was coming close to happening.

flew into this very dark airport of Baghdad. We were the first plane to land there in three years. The last plane was a British Airways plane that was blown up at the end of the runway. So it was a dark and interesting night. And we met Salem at the airport and we swapped hostages for medical supplies. And then fast forward. to the second Gulf War, just as it was coming close to happening.

I was against the second Gulf War. I think George Bush Senior was absolutely right in not going into Baghdad. And there was no good excuse for the second Gulf War. There was no reason for it. And it was nothing to do with 9-11. That was for Saudis, not Iraqis.

I was against the second Gulf War. I think George Bush Senior was absolutely right in not going into Baghdad. And there was no good excuse for the second Gulf War. There was no reason for it. And it was nothing to do with 9-11. That was for Saudis, not Iraqis.

And so I thought maybe we could try to persuade Saddam Hussein to step down from Iraq, which would take the excuse of the war away from the Allied forces. So I went and saw the King of Jordan again, and he again contacted Saddam Hussein and

And so I thought maybe we could try to persuade Saddam Hussein to step down from Iraq, which would take the excuse of the war away from the Allied forces. So I went and saw the King of Jordan again, and he again contacted Saddam Hussein and