Richard Branson's business ventures
This is a list of Richard Branson's business ventures from the 1960s to today.
1960s
1968 - Branson publishes the first issue of Student Magazine. This is his first business venture.
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
train station. It is subsequently sold in 2003 to a private speculator.
1980s
1980 - Virgin Records goes international
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 "The Music Channel", 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 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.
1988 - Virgin opens Olympic Recording Studios in Barnes, London, one of the most modern studio complexes in Europe.
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 Hotels is created, combining three properties: the Norton House Hotel in Edinburgh, the Crathorn Hall hotel in North Yorkshire, and the Rhinefield House Hotel in Hampshire.
1988 - Virgin sells its shareholding in BSB.
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
1996 - V2 Music is created
1996 - Virgin.Net launches
1996 - 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
2000s
2000 - Virgin sells Rushes Postproduction to Ascent Media - then Liberty Livewire
2004 - Virgin launches Virgin Galactic
2006 - Virgin announce Virgin Fuels, a new company to produce a clean fuel in the future
2007 - Virgin launches Virgin Health Bank
2007 - Virgin launches Virgin Media
This is a list of Richard Branson's business ventures from the 1960s to today.
1960s
1968 - Branson publishes the first issue of Student Magazine. This is his first business venture.
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
train station. It is subsequently sold in 2003 to a private speculator.
1980s
1980 - Virgin Records goes international
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 "The Music Channel", 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 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.
1988 - Virgin opens Olympic Recording Studios in Barnes, London, one of the most modern studio complexes in Europe.
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 Hotels is created, combining three properties: the Norton House Hotel in Edinburgh, the Crathorn Hall hotel in North Yorkshire, and the Rhinefield House Hotel in Hampshire.
1988 - Virgin sells its shareholding in BSB.
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
1996 - V2 Music is created
1996 - Virgin.Net launches
1996 - 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
2000s
2000 - Virgin sells Rushes Postproduction to Ascent Media - then Liberty Livewire
2004 - Virgin launches Virgin Galactic
2006 - Virgin announce Virgin Fuels, a new company to produce a clean fuel in the future
2007 - Virgin launches Virgin Health Bank
2007 - Virgin launches Virgin Media