I like him.There is something about him that comes across as being very down to earth and yes likeable.And unlike the majority of people with the amount of money and business success he has,I think Richard has integrity.
Like anyone he's going to have upset some people and made a good impression on others. He's always trying something new, and that's going to lead to mistakes and failures, as well as successes.
On the whole, I think he's a positive role model for entrepreneurs. Plus, he has a company called Virgin Galactic. Come on, you have to admire someone with that sort of ambition!
I met both him and Sir Clive Sinclair on the same train up from London to the NEC back in the early 90s. Of course, I had to just nod and pretend this was a normal thing to happen to be, no way was I going to act all starstruck. That was the only time I've ever travelled first class .
I didn't really have an opinion about him before, but since he came out in support of cannabis legalisation, I like him very much. What we need is for many more high profile, and RESPECTED people like Branson to give their support to this cause.
at one point virgin trains was not just a mess but actually dangerous. they stopped doing maintenance. and were about to start locking doors between 1st and 2nd class and get rid of guards ...... just before paddington crash.
The crashes were nothing to do with Virgin Trains.
I dislike him, he avoids paying the correct level of tax, lives on a distant island, but thinks he can dictate to Britain to stay in the EU, and has yet to make any meaningful and noticeable contribution to Britain beyond a few self aggrandizing publicity stunts, and self promotion, even his businesses are mostly fluff and not very important, I predict when he's dead and gone his business 'empire' will be broken up and will disappear quickly, and the real Richard Branson will be shown to have been a bell end. In addition he mixes with people I wouldn't want to be in the same room with. Not a fan.
I dislike him, he avoids paying the correct level of tax, lives on a distant island, but thinks he can dictate to Britain to stay in the EU, and has yet to make any meaningful and noticeable contribution to Britain beyond a few self aggrandizing publicity stunts, and self promotion, even his businesses are mostly fluff and not very important, I predict when he's dead and gone his business 'empire' will be broken up and will disappear quickly, and the real Richard Branson will be shown to have been a bell end. In addition he mixes with people I wouldn't want to be in the same room with. Not a fan.
The fact that you dislike him is your opinion, and you're perfectly entitled to hold it, personally I don't think about him much.
You say that he avoids paying the correct level of tax, newsflash, so do I, so do lots of people, unlike tax evasion, tax avoidance is perfectly legal.
I believe that he owns Necker Island, not sure that he LIVES there, but so what if he does, what difference does it make to us where he lives?
I don't think that he thinks that he can dictate to Britain to stay in the E.U., he may say that he'd prefer that Britain had stayed in it, so do I, but I don't think that the government cares what either Branson or I think or want.
You're probably a very nice person POV, but maybe the people R.B. mixes with wouldn't want to share a room with you OR me, c'est la vie.
I reiterate, I don't think about him much, if at all.
i don't know why but i've always kind of liked him....he lives near me in a somewhat modest house in very large, private grounds but i've never seen him in the village. when you walk past his boundries there are cctv cameras that swivel and follow you.
I just can't picture him in a "modest" home lol. Not when this is the same guy who owns his own island ha. How modest are we talking?
I admire all the visionary entrepreneurs/business people who have changed our lives for the better, and continuing to still do so. Elon musk, Branson, Bezos, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, etc.
He has been successful in building a brand with, mostly, other people's money. For example, Virgin Trains East Coast is 90% owned by Stagecoach, but they are happy to use the Virgin brand in the belief that it will enhance the operation. I believe that they are wrong as problems with other Virgin branded operations outside their control could damage the business.
No opinion either way really until I read he contributed a large amount of money to the McCanns' limited company, the vast majority of which they spent on legal fees suing or threatening to sue people, which I thought showed a serious lack of judgement by him.
I think he's a menace. (he had to be removed from running Virgin Trains, which originally were really dire). This opinion is hugely reinforced by tim jackson's biography, which is well researched, and quite nasty about him. Note that if Branson had gone to prison for smuggling, which he nearly did except he was bailed out by a rich relation, we wd never have heard of him.
Read Tom Bower's excellent, if rather heavy book, on Branson, and you'll soon realise he isn't as 'nice' or actually as successful as most people think.
He has a string of failed businesses behind him. A LOT of his businesses are essentially franchises, or ones where Virgin owns a minority share and adopts the name (both NTL cable and East Coast Trains are examples of this). On top of that, he's fleeced the taxpayer on a number of occasions (the Northern Rock buyout being an example).
I dislike the way he tried to manipulate the EU referendum last year and even now refuses to accept the will of the people (he often sounds awful when he discusses political matters). I also despise the way he wants to see cannabis legalised. It is a dangerous drug that causes irreversible mental illness in a significant number of people who use it.
Comments
On the whole, I think he's a positive role model for entrepreneurs. Plus, he has a company called Virgin Galactic. Come on, you have to admire someone with that sort of ambition!
I met both him and Sir Clive Sinclair on the same train up from London to the NEC back in the early 90s. Of course, I had to just nod and pretend this was a normal thing to happen to be, no way was I going to act all starstruck. That was the only time I've ever travelled first class
Hear hear :cool:
The crashes were nothing to do with Virgin Trains.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladbroke_Grove_rail_crash
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southall_rail_crash
The Grayrigg train crash proved that Pendolinos are very safe trains, to quote RB, built like tanks.
I wish Mr H had a fraction of his money.
The fact that you dislike him is your opinion, and you're perfectly entitled to hold it, personally I don't think about him much.
You say that he avoids paying the correct level of tax, newsflash, so do I, so do lots of people, unlike tax evasion, tax avoidance is perfectly legal.
I believe that he owns Necker Island, not sure that he LIVES there, but so what if he does, what difference does it make to us where he lives?
I don't think that he thinks that he can dictate to Britain to stay in the E.U., he may say that he'd prefer that Britain had stayed in it, so do I, but I don't think that the government cares what either Branson or I think or want.
You're probably a very nice person POV, but maybe the people R.B. mixes with wouldn't want to share a room with you OR me, c'est la vie.
I reiterate, I don't think about him much, if at all.
I just can't picture him in a "modest" home lol. Not when this is the same guy who owns his own island ha. How modest are we talking?
http://www.ted.com/talks/richard_branson_s_life_at_30_000_feet
He has a string of failed businesses behind him. A LOT of his businesses are essentially franchises, or ones where Virgin owns a minority share and adopts the name (both NTL cable and East Coast Trains are examples of this). On top of that, he's fleeced the taxpayer on a number of occasions (the Northern Rock buyout being an example).
I dislike the way he tried to manipulate the EU referendum last year and even now refuses to accept the will of the people (he often sounds awful when he discusses political matters). I also despise the way he wants to see cannabis legalised. It is a dangerous drug that causes irreversible mental illness in a significant number of people who use it.
So no, not somebody I like or admire.