What is Richard Branson’s net worth?
SIR Richard Branson has made his fortune thanks to a number of successful business ventures, not least from Virgin.
But the billionaire has come under fire in recent weeks for wanting a bailout from the government to keep the company afloat during the coronavirus crisis.
Yet, Virgin Australia has gone into voluntary administration due to the coronavirus.
What is Richard Branson's net worth?
Sir Richard, 69, is said to have a net worth of around £3.8billion and is a self-made businessman who launched his company Virgin almost 50 years ago.
The Virgin boss was born in Blackheath, London, in 1950 and started his first venture, Virgin Records, in 1972, which he later sold to EMI in 1992 for £500million.
The dad-of-two has started up some very lucrative companies along the way, including Virgin Atlantic Airways in 1984 and Virgin Trains in 1993.
He also has a keen interest in space, and launched space tourism company Virgin Galactic in 2004, with the hope of offering future trips to space for £153,000 a go.
Sir Richard has also created Virgin Media, Virgin Racing and Virgin Comics.
Recently, the multi-billionaire was given his own star at the iconic Hollywood Hall of Fame for his achievements in music and entertainment.
But, with the coronavirus pandemic wreaking havoc on his businesses, in particular the Australian airline arm of Virgin, which went into voluntary administration.
Yet, Sir Branson revealed in an open letter that it would not be the end, instead a new beginning.
Why did Richard Branson sue the NHS?
Branson's company Virgin Care sued the NHS after it lost out on an £82million contract to provide children's health services in Surrey in 2016.
The company cited concerns over "serious flaws" in the way the contract was awarded.
The NHS settled the legal dispute in November 2017 with an out of court settlement for an undisclosed sum.
NHS Surrey Downs clinical commissioning group (CCG) initially disclosed that its liability in the case was £328,000 in its October public finance papers, the Health Service Journal reported at the time.
Virgin Care’s co-founder, Dr Vivienne McVey, said the money from the NHS settlement went into developing services for patients.
“Virgin Care has never made a profit and the Virgin Group has actually invested more than £75 million across the UK in people and technology, supporting doctors and nurses in their jobs and significantly reducing waiting lists,” she said.
Richard has publicly pledged that when it does make a profit, all profits and dividends (over and above his investment) will go back into helping NHS patients.
When did Richard Branson buy Necker Island?
Sir Richard Branson has hosted A-listers from Mariah Carey and Harry Styles to the Obamas at his private Caribbean retreat – Necker Island.
The Virgin boss bought Necker in 1979 for around £137,538 ($180,000) and ever since he has used the private paradise to schmooze the rich and famous.
Over the next three years, he spent a reported £7.63million ($10million) transforming it into a luxury resort with a ten-bed villa overlooking the beach.
Today there are several other luxury residences, private pools, tennis courts and a helipad.
He has hosted everyone from Ronnie and Sally Wood to David Hasselhoff at the luxury retreat.
If you are lucky enough to be a friend of Branson’s, then it will probably cost you nothing to stay on Necker.
But mere mortals need to shell out £40,000 a night.
Who is Richard Branson's wife Joan Templeman?
The business mogul has been married twice, firstly to Kirsten Tommasi from 1972 to 1979, but the pair divorced.
He married Joan Templeman in 1989 at his Necker Island resort, and the pair have a daughter called Holly who was born 1981 and a son Sam who was born in 1985.
In 2016 the couple celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary, and the Virgin boss penned a to Joan as a tribute.
The letter included: “I experienced love at first sight upon meeting a blonde-haired, down to earth, Scottish beauty named Joan, who just happened to be making a cup of tea.
“I generally make up my mind about someone within 30 seconds of meeting them, and Joan won my heart instantly. She was unlike any other women I had ever met.
“She was beautiful. She was bright. She was witty. She was down to earth. She was fun. And she had eyes made of magic.”
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Who are Richard Branson's kids?
Branson has two children with his wife Joan Templeman, Holly and Sam.
Holly was born in 1981 and Sam in 1985.
Branson's daughter obtained a medical degree from University College London and even practised as a junior doctor at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.
She later got a VP position at her father's company.
She is also a founder of Big Change, a charity about positive change for young people in the UK.
She is a mum of three children twins Etta and Artie and two-year-old Lola.
Sam is an actor and the co-founder of a production company called Sundog Pictures.
He has participated in the sci-fi film Superman Returns and at Requiem for Krypton: Making 'Superman Returns' in 2006.
In 2008 he appeared in a TV movie documentary titled Bransons: Come Hell or High Water.'
He is a dad of two children a daughter named Eva-Deia and a son called Bluey.