Supriya Ghosh (Editor)

Timeline of Richard Branson's business ventures

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

Contents

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. 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
  • 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.
  • 1983 – Virgin Games is launched.
  • 1984 – Virgin Atlantic Airways and Virgin Cargo are launched.
  • 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
  • 1993 – Virgin Radio hits the airwaves with Virgin 1215AM
  • 1994 – Launch of Virgin Vodka and Virgin Cola
  • 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
  • 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

  • 2000 – Virgin launches Australian airline Virgin Blue (now called Virgin Australia)
  • 2000 – Virgin sells Rushes Postproduction to Ascent Media – then Liberty Livewire
  • 2000 – Virgin launches Virgin Energy
  • 2000 – Virgin launches Virgin Cars
  • 2004 – Virgin launches Virgin Galactic
  • 2005 – Virgin Express merges with Sn Brussels Airlines to form Brussels Airlines. Virgin retains minority share.
  • 2005 – Virgin Active UK acquires Holmes Place
  • 2006 – Virgin announces Virgin Fuel, a new company to produce a clean fuel in the future
  • 2006 – Virgin Active Spain is Launched
  • 2007 – Virgin Active Portugal is Launched
  • 2007 – Virgin launches Virgin Health Bank
  • 2007 – Virgin launches Virgin Media
  • 2007 – Virgin launches Virgin America
  • 2007 – Virgin Buys 20% stakes in AirAsia X
  • 2007 – Sells Virgin Megastore in the UK and Ireland
  • 2007 – Virgin Media Television Launches Virgin 1
  • 2007 – Closes Virgin Digital in the UK (Virgin now sells music downloads through Virgin Media's website)
  • 2007 – Virgin Fuel US$400 million in Virgin Atlantic jet flight on biofuels and in renewable energy.
  • 2007 – Virgin Money becomes preferred bidder for acquisition of Northern Rock (and is eventually successful).
  • 2007 – Virgin Radio Italia launches in Italy in joint venture with Gruppo Finelco S.p.A.
  • 2008 – Virgin Australia Airlines offers competitive prices between Australia and Los Angeles. Known as V Australia due to naming rights.
  • 2008 – Virgin launches Virgin Healthcare
  • 2009 – Virgin launches Virgin Money Giving

    • 2010s

  • 2010 – Virgin launches Virgin Racing, a Formula One team previously known as Manor Grand Prix
  • 2010 – Virgin launches Virgin Gaming, a service for people of all skill levels to play competitively on popular Video Games.
  • 2010 – Virgin launches Virgin Produced, a film and television development, packaging and production company based in Los Angeles, California.
  • 2010 – Virgin launches Project, a digital magazine created exclusively for Apple, Inc's iPad.
  • 2010 – Virgin Money buys Church House Trust
  • 2012 – Virgin Money buys Northern Rock
  • 2012 – Virgin Galactic announces the development of orbital space launch system LauncherOne.
  • 2013 – Virgin Media sold to Liberty Global
  • 2015 – Virgin launches Virgin Trains East Coast

    • References

    Timeline of Richard Branson's business ventures Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA