Timeline of Richard Branson's business ventures

This is a list of 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 appearing in January 1968.[1] Branson's net worth was estimated at £50,000 by 1969.

1970s

  • 1970 – Start 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 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. Kensington Roof Gardens were renamed to just The Roof Gardens. Virgin ceased its operation of The Roof Gardens in 2018.[2][3]
  • 1983 – Virgin Vision, later to become Virgin Communications, is formed to distribute films and videos in the television and broadcasting sector.[4]
  • 1983 – Virgin Games was launched. The company was renamed Virgin Mastertronic, then renamed Virgin Games (again) and then renamed Virgin Interactive Entertainment (also known as Virgin Interactive) and finally renamed Avalon Interactive before going out of business in 2005. A close affiliate and successor of Spanish origin, Virgin Play, was formed in 2002 from the former Virgin Interactive's Spanish division and kept operating until it folded in 2009.
  • 1984 – Virgin Atlantic 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 British Satellite Broadcasting and receives a UK licence 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 launches Mates condoms in the UK to promote condoms to young adults
  • 1988 – Virgin re-opens the recently acquired and re-modelled 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 British Satellite Broadcasting.

1990s

  • 1990 – Virgin arrives in Japan
  • 1991 – Virgin Publishing (Virgin Books) is formed
  • 1992 – Virgin Records is sold to Thorn EMI[5]
  • 1993 - Virgin Vision is bought by PolyGram for $5.6 million.[6]
  • 1993 – Virgin Radio hits the airwaves with Virgin 1215AM[7]
  • 1994 – Launch of Virgin Vodka and Virgin Cola. Virgin Vodka failed to gain traction and Virgin Cola ended production in 2014.[8][9][10]
  • 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. In 2005 Virgin Express merges with Sn Brussels Airlines to form Brussels Airlines. Lufthansa fully acquired Brussels Airlines in 2017.
  • 1996 – V2 Music is created
  • 1996 – Virgin.Net launches
  • 1996 – Virgin Brides launched. Last Virgin Brides store closed in 2007.[10][11]
  • 1996 – Virgin Group becomes majority shareholders in London Broncos rugby league team. Virgin withdrew from the London Broncos in 2001-2002.[12][13][14]
  • 1997 – Virgin CrossCountry and Virgin Trains West Coast commence operations[15][16]
  • 1997 – Majority shareholding in Virgin Radio is sold to Chris Evans[17]
  • 1997 – Virgin Cosmetics launches. The company (officially The Virgin Cosmetics Company) changed its name into Virgin Vie At Home and then Vie at Home (after being bought out from Virgin Group). Vie at Home entered liquidation in 2011.[10]
  • 1998 – Virgin Clothing was launched. All activities ended by 2005.[10]
  • 1998 – 49% stake in Virgin Rail Group sold to Stagecoach Group[18]
  • 1999 – Virgin Mobile launches Virgin's first telecoms venture
  • 1999 – Virgin Active launches in South Africa, UK and Italy
  • 1999 – Majority shareholding in London Broncos is sold to David Hughes[19]
  • 1999 – 49% shareholding in Virgin Atlantic sold to Singapore Airlines[20]

2000s

2010s

2020s

  • 2024 – Hyperloop One, formerly Virgin Hyperloop, is dissolved and sells its assets.[36]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Richard Branson". Entrepreneur. 10 October 2008. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
  2. ^ "The Roof Gardens - Now Closed". Virgin Limited Edition. Virgin Group. Archived from the original on 21 May 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  3. ^ Kensington Roof Gardens to close after more than 35 years The Guardian 3 January 2018
  4. ^ Dearlove, Des (13 Mar 2007). Business the Richard Branson Way: 10 Secrets of the World's Greatest Brand Builder (3 ed.). John Wiley & Sons. pp. 15. ISBN 9781841127668.
  5. ^ "Richard Branson Biography". Bio. Archived from the original on 15 April 2014. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
  6. ^ "Polygram's visionary deal". February 1993.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ "Global Beverage Company Limited::". 2013-01-13. Archived from the original on 13 January 2013. Retrieved 2024-02-09.
  9. ^ Clifford, Catherine (2017-02-07). "What Richard Branson learned when Coke put Virgin Cola out of business". CNBC. Retrieved 2024-02-10.
  10. ^ a b c d Gwyn Topham (6 October 2014). "Sir Richard Branson's setbacks: from Virgin Cola to Virgin Brides". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
  11. ^ "14 Virgin companies that even Richard Branson could not stop going bust". Business Insider. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
  12. ^ Aaron Bower (29 November 2018). "Mr London on why he's spent £20m on the Broncos and won't stop now". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
  13. ^ "Broncos owner Hughes puts club up for sale". BBC. 23 September 2024. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
  14. ^ Callum Walker (7 June 2024). "How all 12 Super League owners made their money". Total Rugby League. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
  15. ^ Branson's Virgin Group wins CrossCountry Trains for 15 years Rail issue 294 18 December 1996 page 6
  16. ^ Virgin to tackle IC West Coast Rail Privatisation News issue 48 20 February 1997 page 1
  17. ^ "Chris Evans takes over at Virgin Radio". BBC News. London. 9 December 1997. Retrieved 24 Sep 2014.
  18. ^ Stagecoach to Acquire 49% Stake in Virgin Rail Today's Railways UK issue 32 August 1998 page 8
  19. ^ Hughes snaps up Broncos Evening Standard 17 September 2001
  20. ^ Branson sells 49% of Virgin Atlantic BBC News 20 December 1999
  21. ^ Virgin Blue To Fly The Aussie Skies Virgin Blue 5 February 2000
  22. ^ "Virgin Cars Homepage after closing". Archived from the original on 1 January 2006. Retrieved 2013-05-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  23. ^ "Virgin Play in trouble". MCV UK. 2009-08-20. Archived from the original on 2013-06-07. Retrieved 2013-05-06.
  24. ^ "Lufthansa board approves Brussels Airlines takeover". Reuters. 28 September 2016. Archived from the original on 30 November 2016.
  25. ^ Branson sells Virgin music stores BBC News 17 September 2007
  26. ^ Shock as Virgin loses Cross Country to Arriva The Railway Magazine issue 1277 September 2007 page 11
  27. ^ Benson, Andrew (6 January 2017). "Manor Racing enter administration and are on brink of collapse". BBC. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
  28. ^ "FIA Reimburses Manor Racing for 2017 F1 Entry Fee". FIA. 20 November 2017. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
  29. ^ "UKFI confirms completion of Northern Rock sale to Virgin Money" (PDF). UKFI. 1 January 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  30. ^ Amos, Jonathan (2012-07-11). "Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic to launch small satellites". BBC News. Retrieved 2012-07-13.
  31. ^ Stagecoach/Virgin bid wins East Coast franchise The Railway Magazine issue 1366 January 2015 page 6
  32. ^ "Hyperloop One Is Now 'Virgin Hyperloop One' Thanks to Richard Branson's Investment". Fortune. 2017-10-12.
  33. ^ "New Chairman, New Funding, & New Speed Records". Hyperloop One. Retrieved 2019-11-06.
  34. ^ Government terminates Virgin Trains East Coast franchise Railway Gazette International 17 May 2018
  35. ^ FirstGroup replaces Virgin to run West Coast route BBC News 14 August 2019
  36. ^ Hyperloop One Closes
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