Billionaire Richard Branson survives bike crash

[joeyg]

He really has helped many people, in big ways.  Shame to see the mentality that "cuts him down."

Edited August 29, 2016 by joeyg

[thaihome]

57 minutes ago, Humphrey Bear said:

The article calls him a 'sixty-six year old'.

When I was in my early twenties, living and working in Soho, he opened his first Virgin Records shop - that must have been in the 1960s or very early 70s. Say 50 years ago. So he opened his own business at age 16?? I worked for Taylor Woodrow (was Britain's biggest construction company) and Frank Taylor was not allowed by law to open a company at age 16. Laws may have changed, but I cannot see that a sixteen year old would be able to do business in the London of those days.

 

He was about 21 when he opened the first store in 1971. He had been selling mail order for a couple of years. Apparently selling export stock allowing him to undercut the listed price of other stores. After being caught, his mother mortgaged her house to pay the settlement. 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Branson#Record_business

TH 

 

[joeyg]

38 minutes ago, thaihome said:

 

He was about 21 when he opened the first store in 1971. He had been selling mail order for a couple of years. Apparently selling export stock allowing him to undercut the listed price of other stores. After being caught, his mother mortgaged her house to pay the settlement. 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Branson#Record_business

TH 

 

Hate to speculate, my guess is his mom has been well compensated at this point.

 

[Fookhaht]

On August 27, 2016 at 8:19 PM, RuamRudy said:

 

I think it is a bit unfair to criticise the man for his natural exuberence. He is a very successful showman, but actually seems to have his feet on the ground. I can think of a few billionaires who are worthy of criticism, and I am sure that there are many more unseen billionaires who definitely deserve to be pilloried, but Branson seems to be a genuinely decent person with sound ethics and a moral compass that runs pretty true.

I would accept "unnatural megalomania," but your "natural exuberence" (sic) takes the cake for the understatement of the decade.  If Brits had a presidential election, he'd be following Trump's footsteps. 

[Fookhaht]

On August 28, 2016 at 1:53 PM, thaihome said:

 

You mean  not flaunt it by your house. Gate's house is well known as one of the largest private residences in the world, for 3 people in believe. 

 

I don't think Branson does things like round the world balloon flights or even race off road bicycles to show off, he does them because he can. 

TH 

 

In a pissing contest are we?

Bill Gates' home:  66,000 sq. ft. for three.  

Richard Branson:  How about a whole island at 2,700,000 sq ft.  (plus a mega-mansion) for TWO?  

[RuamRudy]

56 minutes ago, Fookhaht said:

In a pissing contest are we?

Bill Gates' home:  66,000 sq. ft. for three.  

Richard Branson:  How about a whole island at 2,700,000 sq ft.  (plus a mega-mansion) for TWO?  

 

For which he paid, in 1978, $180,000, hardly a king's ransom. At the time it was uninhabited and without infrastructure. He saw an opportunity and he took it - a clever businessman who benefited from circumstance as well as his acumen.

[RuamRudy]

1 hour ago, Fookhaht said:

I would accept "unnatural megalomania," but your "natural exuberence" (sic) takes the cake for the understatement of the decade.  If Brits had a presidential election, he'd be following Trump's footsteps. 

 

If mediocrity is your thing, embrace it.

 

I only know how the media portrays both The Donald and Branson, but if the portrayals are accurate for both, I am certain that Branson would have nothing endearing to say about Trump either as a businessman or a person.

[Fookhaht]

17 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

 

For which he paid, in 1978, $180,000, hardly a king's ransom. At the time it was uninhabited and without infrastructure. He saw an opportunity and he took it - a clever businessman who benefited from circumstance as well as his acumen.

Bill Gates and Paul Allen started up Microsoft 40 years ago with a fund of  $16,000 ($70,000 in today's money) to bootstrap their new operations, which has grown into a  $620 billion company.  As to "a clever businessman who benefited from circumstance as well as his acumen," it is an apt description of Gates as well.  

Kudos to both business tycoons, although I prefer Gates' modest style and demeanor as compared to the likes of Branson.   

Edited August 29, 2016 by Fookhaht

[Fookhaht]

10 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

 

If mediocrity is your thing, embrace it.

 

 

If judging a TV member's character is your thing, drop it. 

[SheungWan]

If there is one thing that Brits resent above all other things, it is other people's success.

[simon43]

Just jealous of that beard and mustache... it looks vaginal.

 

You must know some strange women 

[bannork]

3 hours ago, SheungWan said:

If there is one thing that Brits resent above all other things, it is other people's success.

It's not good form old chap to blow one's trumpet. A British man or woman, when asked if they are good at something , should always reply:' I'm not too bad.'

To proclaim one is good at something is very tacky. And so it is with success, for how can it be defined?

A million album sold or a dedicated nurse unknown to anyone who helps alleviate the suffering of patients every day?

 

[MaxYakov]

On 8/27/2016 at 11:26 AM, SgtRock said:

 

It was a push bike you came off, not a 250Kmph Ducati.

 

Exaggerate much you big jessie.

 

You underestimate the speed of some bicycles and the fragility of the human body. Your reference to bicycles as "push bikes" indicates to me a potential ignorance of modern, high-performance bicycles and cycling.

 

You may want to eyeball the Bicycle World Speed Records [Wiki] which is well above 150 mph.

 

You may not be aware, but in a car one can be killed in a 25 mph collision when not using seat belts or air bags. It was Branson's responsibility to avoid that bump or deal with it somehow, but I hesitate to judge without knowing the details.

 

I've over seven years of cycling in Bangkok almost every day on both sidewalks (footpaths to you) and roads, which are often pretty poor, and never gone down at speed (knock on wood). One has to be extremely situationally aware and able to rapidly and accurately judge and react to situations with the Bangkok road environment (or even the sidewalks, for that matter).

 

My worst departures from a bicycles was when I was very young by getting my front wheel caught in a road-level, embedded train rail and another time when I ran over a football. Both times I landed on my feet with the bicycle some several feet away.

Edited August 29, 2016 by MaxYakov

[RuamRudy]

8 minutes ago, bannork said:

It's not good form old chap to blow one's trumpet. A British man or woman, when asked if they are good at something , should always reply:' I'm not too bad.'

To proclaim one is good at something is very tacky. And so it is with success, for how can it be defined?

A million album sold or a dedicated nurse unknown to anyone who helps alleviate the suffering of patients every day?

 

 

It is worse than disliking a blowhard - in the UK we genuinely seem to turn against those who are successful.

As Gore Vidal (I appreciate that he was American) said, 'every time a friend succeeds, I die a little.'

 

I remember watching an interview on TV with the US singer Tori Amos, who had moved to the South of England to live. She was asked about the differences between living in the US and the UK. She mentioned that in the US, if you had a nice car either your neighbour would work hard to buy similar, or might steal it. In the UK, she said, someone would key it. To me, that sums up the attitude of many  of my fellow  Brits to the success of others.

[swanny321]

3 hours ago, SheungWan said:

If there is one thing that Brits resent above all other things, it is other people's success.

 

  Tell that to football fanatics!

[swanny321]

2 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

 

It is worse than disliking a blowhard - in the UK we genuinely seem to turn against those who are successful.

As Gore Vidal (I appreciate that he was American) said, 'every time a friend succeeds, I die a little.'

 

I remember watching an interview on TV with the US singer Tori Amos, who had moved to the South of England to live. She was asked about the differences between living in the US and the UK. She mentioned that in the US, if you had a nice car either your neighbour would work hard to buy similar, or might steal it. In the UK, she said, someone would key it. To me, that sums up the attitude of many  of my fellow  Brits to the success of others.

 

  Ah good ole Tori...she also said; and I paraphrase; 'If you mention re-incarnation to a Brit; they look at you as if you're crazy!'

So way to quote a notorious, if talented and beautiful, fruitloop like I just did(n't)!?!

[lonewolf99]

He is not self made...he is a grinning arse that has perpetuated this myth. He comes from a very wealthy background. 

Mummy and Daddy supported his endeavours   coz there was no way he could have held down a proper job...

 

His father is Edward James Branson (1918–2011), a barrister. His grandfather, the Right Honourable Sir George Arthur Harwin Branson, was a judge of the High Court of Justice and a Privy Councillor.

 

As already stated, gravel rash.... Bangkok Pattaya bandages dozens every day ....

[joeyg]

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz......... 

[Fookhaht]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[RuamRudy]

1 hour ago, Fookhaht said:

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

The man who's entry in Who's Who include's his ambition to "foment the overthrow of capitalism” is hardly going to be a fanboy for those who don't subscribe to the Morning Star.