Branson
Richard Branson is the most well-known tycoon, few claim to be wealthier, and no one has created a more identifiable brand than him. What is it about the buccaneering balloonist, the tabloids' favorite celebrity nude, the "grinning jumper," and the scourge of corporate goliaths that makes them so popular? Tom Bower has unearthed a different story from the one touted by Virgin's publicists, using firsthand testimony from more than 250 persons who have had direct contact with Branson. Branson's whole tale is told here, including his enterprises, friendships, ambition, law-breaking, drug use, and bullying.
This book is an intimate examination of how Richard Branson built and marketed himself, from the cockpit of a balloon in the heavens to the heart of Branson's operations in his Holland Park home. Branson is revealed to be a single-minded profiteer in Tom Bower's book, who, while occasionally nice to others, has a defined goal of increasing his family's riches in hidden off-shore trust funds. Branson appears as a crafty actor, proud of stealing the wonderful ideas of others for his own wealth, rather than a sparkling saint. This fully updated edition tracks Branson's companies and investments up to his unsuccessful offer for Northern Rock, from his effort to get the National Lottery licence to his ambitions to establish space travel with Virgin Galactic.
