Richard Branson
...appears as an enigma in the business world.
He is one of the most interesting cases of a modern entrepreneurs or even “multipreneur”. He is at the head of an empire of over 25 000 employees and 350 companies, combining for more than $8 billion a year in sales. He was considered by Forbes as the 236th wealthiest person in the world in 2008. In contrary to Bill Gates, Steve Jobs or other technology entrepreneurs, Richard Branson does not really have a strong expertise in a specific field. However, most of his businesses are successful and his capacity to break the business rules is a constant source of fascination. Who is the man behind the brand? How managed this unskilled man to become one the most influential leader of the past 25 years?
I) The Virgin Empire
A. The early stages
Richard Branson was born in 1950 in Blackheath, South London. He was the eldest and only boy of three children. His academic path was not particularly successful as he had to cope with dyslexia. However, he achieved good results in sport and was showing a strong competitive spirit on the playing fields. Besides, his parents contributed to build his strong personality. As he was not very adventurous by nature, he had to prove that he could be independent and able to face dangerous and challenging situations. At the age of six, his mother would shove him out of the car and tell him to try to find his own way home. At age 10, she put Branson on a bike asked him to ride 300 miles. These experiences built character as well as endurance, says Branson, and also leadership qualities.
Most of his strongest traits and his entrepreneurial spirit appeared as he entered Stowe boarding school in Buckingham. Indeed, at the age of 15, he created two ventures, growing Christmas trees and raising budgerigars, which eventually failed. One year later, when he arrived in London, he was running...
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