Virgin billionaire Richard Branson’s English country manor is for sale – US$5.2 million buys the childhood home where his doomed Christmas tree business was born
The space tourism pioneer, now living on Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands, is worth US$4.5 billion – but it all started at tranquil Tanyards Farm in Sussex
Rabbits wrecked Richard Branson’s first entrepreneurial venture.
His next venture? Selling mail-order records. In 1971, at age 21, Branson was arrested for a tax evasion scheme involving the way he was selling the records. His mother posted the US$45,000 bail.
These failures only made Branson think bigger.
In 1972, Branson used his mail-order business as a springboard to found Virgin Records – a name which came from the conceit that he and his cohorts were “virgins” in business. They had their first major hit with Mike Oldfield’s album Tubular Bells in 1973. The company went on to sign the Sex Pistols, Phil Collins and The Rolling Stones.
Today, the Virgin empire also includes an airline, hotels, a space tourism company and much more. Forbes estimates Branson’s net worth to be US$4.5 billion.
Now, the red-brick home that played such an essential role in the making of this billionaire is for sale.