Timeline of Richard Branson's business ventures

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

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

Contents

[edit] 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

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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.

[edit] 1990s

  • 1990 - Virgin Megastores 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 Trains is launched
  • 1996 - Virgin Group becomes majority shareholders in London Broncos rugby league team
  • 1997 - Virgin Radio is acquired by Chris Evans
  • 1997 - Virgin Cosmetics launches
  • 1998 - 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

[edit] 2000s

[edit] 2010s

[edit] See also

[edit] External links
Key people
Lifestyle
Travel
Music
Money
Media & Mobile

Media · UK · Australia (Broadband) · Canada · France · India · South Africa · USA · Produced
Radio

France · Canada (Toronto · Vancouver · Montreal · Calgary · Edmonton) · Italy · Dubai · Turkey · Jordan
Former ventures
Defunct
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Timeline_of_Richard_Branson%27s_business_ventures&oldid=470704771"
Personal tools
Namespaces

Variants
Actions
Navigation
Interaction
Toolbox
Print/export
Languages