When Richard Branson was 16, he started a magazine called "Student."
Six years later, he opened up a recording studio. The company's first song — a track called "Tubular Bells" by Mike Oldfield — stayed on the U.K. charts for 247 weeks.
The Virgin empire had begun.
Now at 64, Branson is equal parts man, myth, and legend. His Virgin Group is composed of 400 companies, employs 60,000 people, and operates in more than 30 countries. He has an estimated net worth of $5 billion.
Branson also has a flair for the dramatic. He's crossed the Atlantic Ocean in a hot air balloon and kite-surfed across the English Channel.
To gain an understanding of the adventurous, wildly successful entrepreneur, we combed through his talks, interviews, and profiles. Here's what we found.
On entrepreneurship
"Entrepreneurship is about turning what excites you in life into capital, so that you can do more of it and move forward with it."
On human interaction
"When I was young, every time I criticized someone, my mother would stand me in front of the mirror and say: 'The flaws you see in others are actually a reflection of yourself.' That taught me to pay close attention when I looked at others.
"[My parents] also taught me to listen and value other people's advice and opinions. So I have always applied this in business and tried to be a good leader and bring out the best in people by listening to them, trusting in them, believing in them, respecting them and letting them have a go!"
[The Gentleman's Journal, December 2012]
On purpose
"A business is simply an idea to make other people's lives better."
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