Timeline of Richard Branson's business ventures

This is a list of Sir Richard Branson's business ventures from the 1960s to today.

1960s

  • 1966 – After failed attempts to grow and sell both Christmas trees and budgerigars, Branson launches his first successful business, a magazine named Student, the first issue of which appeared in January 1968.[1] Branson's net worth was estimated at £50,000 by 1969.

1970s

  • 1970 – Starts selling records by mail-order
  • 1971 – Opens his first record shop on Oxford Street
  • 1972 – Opens a Virgin Recording Studio
  • 1973 – Launches Virgin Records record label [1]
  • 1979 – Buys the gay nightclub Heaven, located under Charing Cross railway station. It was eventually sold in 2003 to a private buyer. Branson's net worth was estimated at £5 million by 1979.

1980s

  • 1980 – Virgin Records goes international
  • 1981 – Virgin buys the Kensington Roof Gardens
  • 1983 – Virgin Vision, later to become Virgin Communications, is formed to distribute films and videos in the television and broadcasting sector.[2]
  • 1983 – Virgin Games is launched.
  • 1984 – Virgin Atlantic Airways and Virgin Cargo are launched.[1]
  • 1984 – Virgin Vision (launched the previous year) launches "Music Box", a 24-hour satellite music station.
  • 1985 – Virgin Group now includes record labels, retail outlets, exported music publishing, broadcasting, satellite television, and film and video distribution.
  • 1985 – Branson starts Virgin Holidays
  • 1987 – Branson takes Virgin Records to the United States
  • 1987 – The Virgin Group, along with Granada, Anglia and Pearson, founds BSB (British Satellite Broadcasting) and receives a UK license to broadcast five new TV channels by satellite in the UK.
  • 1987 – Virgin sets up 525, a post production facility in Los Angeles, to work on high-end commercials and pop videos.
  • 1987 – Virgin sets up "Music Box" as an independent producer of music programmes.
  • 1987 – Virgin buys a 45% stake in Mastertronic Group. Later Virgin Mastertronic becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of Virgin Group, creating, marketing and distributing computer games software and Sega consoles in several European countries.
  • 1987 – Virgin buys Rushes Postproduction in London.
  • 1987 – Virgin launches Virgin Airship & Balloon Company.
  • 1987 – Richard Branson launched Mates condoms in the UK to promote condoms to young adults
  • 1988 – Virgin re-opens the recently acquired and re-modeled Olympic Studios in Barnes, London.
  • 1988 – Virgin launches Virgin Classics, another Virgin international record label specializing in high-quality classical music.
  • 1988 – Virgin sells some of its smaller UK retail stores and puts more money into Virgin Megastores, opening new stores both in the UK and abroad.
  • 1988 – Virgin sets up Virgin Broadcasting.
  • 1988 – Virgin sells its shareholding in BSB.

1990s

  • 1990 – Virgin arrives in Japan
  • 1991 – Virgin Publishing (Virgin Books) is formed
  • 1992 – Virgin Records is sold to Thorn EMI [3]
  • 1993 – Virgin Radio hits the airwaves with Virgin 1215AM[4]
  • 1994 – Launch of Virgin Vodka and Virgin Cola
  • 1995 - Discretely invests in AirTicketsDirect
  • 1995 – Virgin Direct Personal Financial Services opens for business
  • 1995 – Virgin Express a European low cost Airline is launched in Brussels after the purchase and rebranding of EBA Express
  • 1996 – V2 Music is created
  • 1996 – Virgin.Net launches
  • 1996 – Virgin Brides launches
  • 1996 – Virgin Group becomes majority shareholders in London Broncos rugby league team
  • 1997 – Virgin Trains is launched
  • 1997 – Virgin Radio is acquired by Chris Evans[5]
  • 1997 – Virgin Cosmetics launches
  • 1999 – Virgin Mobile launches Virgin's first telecoms venture
  • 1999 – Virgin Active Launches in South Africa, UK and Italy
  • 1999 – Majority shareholders in London Broncos is sold to David Hughes

2000

2010s

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Richard Branson". Entrepreneur. 10 October 2008. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
  2. ↑ Dearlove, Des (13 Mar 2007). Business the Richard Branson Way: 10 Secrets of the World's Greatest Brand Builder (3 ed.). John Wiley & Sons. p. 15. ISBN 9781841127668.
  3. ↑ "Richard Branson Biography". Bio. Archived from the original on 15 April 2014. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
  4. ↑ Hosking, Patrick (29 April 1993). "Branson takes to the airwaves: Hopes are high as Virgin Radio begins broadcasting". The Independent. London. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
  5. ↑ "Chris Evans takes over at Virgin Radio". BBC News. London. 9 December 1997. Retrieved 24 Sep 2014.
  6. ↑ "UKFI confirms completion of Northern Rock sale to Virgin Money" (PDF). UKFI. 1 January 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  7. ↑ Amos, Jonathan (2012-07-11). "Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic to launch small satellites". BBC News. Retrieved 2012-07-13.
  8. ↑ "Hyperloop One Is Now 'Virgin Hyperloop One' Thanks to Richard Branson's Investment". Fortune. 2017-10-12.
  9. ↑ https://hyperloop-one.com/blog/new-chairman-new-funding-new-speed-records
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