Summary: Richard Branson

Review and Analysis of Brown's Book

BusinessNews Publishing

• Publisher: Must Read Summaries
• Year: 2016
• Topic: Business
• eBook ISBN:
  9782511018187
• Subtopic: Business Development
• Index: Business

The must-read summary of Mick Brown's book: `Richard Branson: The Inside Story`.

This complete summary of the ideas from Mick Brown's book `Richard Branson` tells the story of the dynamic British entrepreneur and adventurer, Richard Branson. In his book, the author examines Branson's childhood, upbringing, education and how he progressively built his extremely successful business empire starting from his own record shop in London which later developed into Virgin records. This summary provides readers with a fascinating insight into the success of this inspiring, ambitious man.

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To learn more, read `Richard Branson` and discover the story behind one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world.

Summary of Richard Branson (Mick Brown)

Chapter 1. Childhood

Richard Charles Nicholas Branson was born on 18th July 1950. His birth was extremely difficult, as he was more than three weeks overdue and the hospital in which he was born believed in natural childbirth methods; no drips, forceps or painkillers. His mother, Eve Branson, later commented, “Richard came into the world an absolute handful. And he has been a handful ever since.”

Richard Branson’s father, Edward, was a third generation lawyer. The Branson’s had a proud tradition of producing some of the finest legal minds in the region. The family were upper middle class in British society, although in reality they were not terribly well off financially.

His mother, Eve Huntley-Flindt, had been an air stewardess on some of the first commercial flights between Europe and West Africa (an early service using converted Lancaster bombers requiring passengers and crew to wear oxygen masks while in flight). Eve was strong-minded, rather entreprenuerial and fiercely independent. She was determined to instill these same qualities in each of her three children.

The Branson family code was; “Have faith in yourself; nothing is impossible, but the only person likely to make anything happen is you.”

Richard Branson spent his childhood in activity. He showed no interest in books, and television was forbidden at home as a waste of time watching what others had achieved. It was considered far better to be out doing things for oneself. His parents went out of their way to set him challenging activities, such as learning to swim, walking across fields at night by himself, and a number of similar activities designed to build character. They later came to regret the success of this process as Richard grew up high-spirited, self-reliant and totally mischievous.

When sent to a private junior school, Richard made friends with a lad named Nikolas Powell. They soon became the closest and most constant of friends. At school, Richard produced abysmal results in the classroom, but he took to competitive sports with flair. By the time he was at prepatory school, he was the captain of the school rugby, cricket and football teams. His blithe indifference to school studies meant he became a regular visitor to the Principal’s office where he was urged to put more effort into his studies.

At age 11, Richard suffered a torn ligament in a soccer match and some weeks later, the cartilage in his knee was removed which effectively ended his sporting ambitions. One of his school mates later said of Richard, “He was very assertive and pushy. He had this attitude that anything was possible, and if it’s not possible, why not? If there was any conspiracy afoot, it was likely that Richard was at the heart of it.”

He was sent to a ‘cramming’ school in order to try and pass his looming Common Entrance exams. However, while there, he became rather friendly with the headmaster’s eighteen year old daughter, and ended up spending each night climbing down the drainpipe outside his dormitory window to visit the girl. When caught, he was promptly expelled from school. His response to this was to draft a bogus suicide note, and having left the note with someone who was sure to read it immediately, set off to the nearest cliffs. He walked slowly enough to enable the persuing group to catch up, and the next day he was reinstated and caned soundly. However, despite these events, he passed his Common Entrance exams with above average marks, and was sent off to Stowe School, a public school.

Chapter 2. Stowe

Richard distinguished himself at Stowe by showing not the slightest interest in the established social order. “If he got into trouble, it wasn’t because he was making a radical statement against the system, but because he simply wasn’t interested in doing what was demanded of him. He was only interested in doing what he wanted to do, and if he could inveigle other people into doing it, so much the better; if he couldn’t, too bad,” said Tim Albery.

Richard had no interest in learning or awareness of fashion. He did not have a clue whether he was conforming or bucking fashion trends. Rather he had an enthusiasm for life, and boundless energy combined with an insatiable appetite for practical jokes. He was still accident-prone, and broke numerous bones including his pelvis when aged fourteen.

Whenever Richard Branson and Nik Powell got together at holiday time, they started a series of money-making schemes including planting Christmas trees (eaten away by wild rabbits when small) and breeding budgerigars (worked so well they ran out of cages). They also spent time admiring the local girls. Nik Powell later said, “Richard never had any problems meeting girls. Other boys would hold back at parties and look at girls wistfully; Richard would always just barge straight up to them. He was certainly very keen to be the first person on the block to have sex.”

While at Stowe, Richard and Jonathon Holland-Gems came up with a great idea - they wanted to start an inter-school magazine to be called Student. Richard decided to solicit articles for the magazine, and after obtaining a copy of Who’s Who from the school library, he began writing to every person listed asking for an interview, an article, a donation or whatever. The headmaster of Stowe became alarmed when he discovered that within a short time, Branson had organized any and almost every boy in his house room copying letters and licking stamps.

Typical of Richard at this time, he had also put his name down for a school prize for the best idea for an adventure holiday. He went to the school and said that since he was busy with Student magazine, would it be alright if his girlfriend could enter the contest on his behalf. This idea was turned down (muc...

Table of contents

• Title page
• Book Presentation
• Summary of Richard Branson (Mick Brown)
• About the Summary Publisher
• Copyright