Sir Richard Branson
Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson (born 18 July 1950) is an English business magnate, investor, and author. In the 1970s he founded the Virgin Group, which today controls more than 400 companies in various fields.
Branson expressed his desire to become an entrepreneur at a young age. His first business venture, at the age of 16, was a magazine called Student. In 1970, he set up a mail-order record business. He opened a chain of record stores, Virgin Records—later known as Virgin Megastores—in 1972. Branson's Virgin brand grew rapidly during the 1980s, as he started Virgin Atlantic airline and expanded the Virgin Records music label. In 1997, Branson founded the Virgin Rail Group to bid for passenger rail franchises during the privatisation of British Rail. The Virgin Trains brand operated the InterCity West Coast franchise from 1997 to 2019, the InterCity CrossCountry franchise from 1997 to 2007, and the InterCity East Coast franchise from 2015 to 2018. In 2004, he founded spaceflight corporation Virgin Galactic, based at Mojave Air and Space Port in California, noted for the SpaceShipTwo suborbital spaceplane designed for space tourism.
In March 2000, Branson was knighted at Buckingham Palace for "services to entrepreneurship". For his work in retail, music and transport (with interests in land, air, sea and space travel), his taste for adventure and for his humanitarian work, he has become a prominent global figure. In 2007, he was placed in the Time 100 Most Influential People in the World list. In July 2021, Forbes listed Branson's estimated net worth at US$5.7 billion.
On 11 July 2021, Branson travelled as a passenger onboard Virgin Galactic Unity 22 at the edge of space, a suborbital test flight for his spaceflight company Virgin Galactic. The mission lasted approximately one hour, reaching a peak altitude of 53.5 miles (86.1 km). At 71, Branson is the third oldest person to fly to space.
Here he is greeting the crowd after jumping off Bognor Pier for the 25th International Bognor Birdman 2003.
Virgin Atlantic was the sponsor the 2003 event. This was described by Councillor Oliver Wingrove, Arun District Council's Cabinet Member for Leisure, as "a tremendous coup, bringing together two famous names in the 100 year history of aviation".
Sir Richard Branson, Chairman of Virgin Atlantic, said: "The Bognor Birdman is an internationally recognised event which celebrates our desire to fly as well as our limited ability to do so without power! It also showcases some of the most unusual ways to take flight. The centenary of the first powered flight would be an ideal time to break Bognor's own target of 100 metres of human powered flight. Who knows, I might even have a go myself!"
The International Birdman is a series of two English competitions held in the West Sussex towns of Bognor Regis and Worthing. The competition which involves human 'birdmen' attempting to fly off the end of a pier into the sea for prize money. The event began in 1971 and has always been held on piers in West Sussex, on the south coast of England. First held in Selsey, the event moved to Bognor Regis in 1978. In 2008 and 2009 the competition relocated to Worthing Pier due to renovations of Bognor Regis Pier. From 2010 Bognor Regis and Worthing have both held Birdman competition, forming the International Birdman Series. It is the oldest Birdman Rally in the world.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Branson
www.bognor-regis.co.uk/opus88.html
Sir Richard Branson
Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson (born 18 July 1950) is an English business magnate, investor, and author. In the 1970s he founded the Virgin Group, which today controls more than 400 companies in various fields.
Branson expressed his desire to become an entrepreneur at a young age. His first business venture, at the age of 16, was a magazine called Student. In 1970, he set up a mail-order record business. He opened a chain of record stores, Virgin Records—later known as Virgin Megastores—in 1972. Branson's Virgin brand grew rapidly during the 1980s, as he started Virgin Atlantic airline and expanded the Virgin Records music label. In 1997, Branson founded the Virgin Rail Group to bid for passenger rail franchises during the privatisation of British Rail. The Virgin Trains brand operated the InterCity West Coast franchise from 1997 to 2019, the InterCity CrossCountry franchise from 1997 to 2007, and the InterCity East Coast franchise from 2015 to 2018. In 2004, he founded spaceflight corporation Virgin Galactic, based at Mojave Air and Space Port in California, noted for the SpaceShipTwo suborbital spaceplane designed for space tourism.
In March 2000, Branson was knighted at Buckingham Palace for "services to entrepreneurship". For his work in retail, music and transport (with interests in land, air, sea and space travel), his taste for adventure and for his humanitarian work, he has become a prominent global figure. In 2007, he was placed in the Time 100 Most Influential People in the World list. In July 2021, Forbes listed Branson's estimated net worth at US$5.7 billion.
On 11 July 2021, Branson travelled as a passenger onboard Virgin Galactic Unity 22 at the edge of space, a suborbital test flight for his spaceflight company Virgin Galactic. The mission lasted approximately one hour, reaching a peak altitude of 53.5 miles (86.1 km). At 71, Branson is the third oldest person to fly to space.
Here he is greeting the crowd after jumping off Bognor Pier for the 25th International Bognor Birdman 2003.
Virgin Atlantic was the sponsor the 2003 event. This was described by Councillor Oliver Wingrove, Arun District Council's Cabinet Member for Leisure, as "a tremendous coup, bringing together two famous names in the 100 year history of aviation".
Sir Richard Branson, Chairman of Virgin Atlantic, said: "The Bognor Birdman is an internationally recognised event which celebrates our desire to fly as well as our limited ability to do so without power! It also showcases some of the most unusual ways to take flight. The centenary of the first powered flight would be an ideal time to break Bognor's own target of 100 metres of human powered flight. Who knows, I might even have a go myself!"
The International Birdman is a series of two English competitions held in the West Sussex towns of Bognor Regis and Worthing. The competition which involves human 'birdmen' attempting to fly off the end of a pier into the sea for prize money. The event began in 1971 and has always been held on piers in West Sussex, on the south coast of England. First held in Selsey, the event moved to Bognor Regis in 1978. In 2008 and 2009 the competition relocated to Worthing Pier due to renovations of Bognor Regis Pier. From 2010 Bognor Regis and Worthing have both held Birdman competition, forming the International Birdman Series. It is the oldest Birdman Rally in the world.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Branson
www.bognor-regis.co.uk/opus88.html