Branson could just sit comfortably in his island resort home, but he prefers to explore all corners of the world, and to do so in ways far more interesting and far more perilous than in the comfort of a Virgin Airlines plane. He's flashier than your average billionaire, with no qualms about risking his life in the pursuit of adventure ... adventure that also often serves double duty as a completely out of the box marketing strategy. He makes no distinction between his professional and personal endeavors, simply aiming to enjoy life and make a difference where he can. "I don't think of work as work and play as play. It's all living."

In 1985, Branson made international news when he tried to set a world record for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic. He failed in spectacular fashion, as his boat capsized and he had to be rescued by a British military helicopter. "Do not be embarrassed by your failures, learn from them and start again" is one of Branson's life mottos, and try again he did. In 1986, he attempted the Atlantic crossing again, but this time he succeed in spectacular fashion - he broke the world record for the crossing by two hours. But breaking the record wasn't enough for Branson. He needed more adventure, and he wanted to keep his name and Virgin's name in the news.

He'd done a water crossing - now he wanted to move into the air. Airplanes weren't exciting enough, so he opted to cross the Atlantic in a hot air balloon. Then, crossing the Atlantic wasn't enough, so he decided to cross the Pacific in a hot air balloon. It wasn't purely for the pursuit of adventure that he took on the hot air balloon challenges. He actually truly enjoyed travelling by hot air balloon. "My favorite mode of transport is hot-air ballooning ... It's so graceful to be blown by the wind, to go where the wind takes you." The balloon Branson took on his first flight was a recordbreaker in and of itself. It was the size of a 21 story building, and was built to fly at a speed of 200 miles per hour - it was the largest and fastest balloon ever constructed.

Large and fast, the balloon wasn't immune from danger. The flight's path was from the state of Maine to Ireland, and when the balloon reached Ireland it didn't detach as it was supposed to. Instead, Branson and his crew found themselves dipping into the freezing waters of the Atlantic. His crew jumped out of the balloon, but Branson was forced to stay put after the balloon rapidly lifted to 12,000 feet with him still in it. Terrified, but able to remain calm, Branson navigated the balloon back down towards the water, and jumped into the ocean when he was a few dozen feet above its surface. The Pacific balloon trip wasn't much calmer - they ran out of most of their fuel partway through and were dependent on the jet stream to push them forward. "I was facing almost certain death ... We could have just slumped on the floor and accepted our fate or try to fly the balloon into the core of the jet stream and find the strongest winds you can find, stay awake for three days, and do everything you can to avoid what, on paper, looked like a sad ending." Branson and his crew chose to stay awake and do what they could - and they overcame their challenge. They didn't break the records they wanted to, but they did live to tell the tale of their adventure. And that was all they could ask for at that point.

Charity Work

A man like Branson who devotes much of his life to the pursuit of pleasure and growing a business might seem to be full up on his time commitments. But for Branson, business and success is about much more than just amassing wealth - it's about helping people. "I never started out in business to make money – I wanted to create products that made a difference in people's lives. The same is true today. In my opinion, there's nothing quite like the gift of giving. When you see first-hand the impact it can have, it becomes the best feeling in the world." Branson has used not only his money, but his brand and his notoriety to influence world leaders. He and Peter Gabriel, of the Virgin Records band Genesis, talked to Nelson Mandela about their dream of having a group of world leaders formed to work on the pressing issues facing the people of the world. The result? The Elders - a group of some of the world's most respected former leaders, including UN officials, President Jimmy Carter, and Desmond Tutu. Branson provides funding for the group and its initiatives, but it was his initial idea and his willingness to care and have those conversations that really made this all possible.

Overall, he's worked with dozens of charities in his life, dedicating his time and money to the causes he cares about and that he believes matter most to his fellow humans. The United Nations has even recognized his efforts, giving him their Citizen of the World award in 2007. Most recently, Branson has thrown his charitable energy towards helping the Caribbean islands rebuild in the wake of Hurricane Irma's destruction during the fall of 2017. With his home on Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands, he has a personal interest in doing so, but has gone well beyond just rebuilding his own luxurious home. He spent time helping mobilize rescue efforts, and assisted with the distribution of water and supplies as well as helping people find shelter. Clearly, Branson is not a man to stand idly by when there is a need or an opportunity.

Media

In promoting the Virgin brand and promoting the causes he cares about, Branson has become a highly recognized personality and a frequent guest on news and other shows. But he doesn't always stick to the serious stuff. He's made cameos in the Bond film Casino Royale, and cemented his place as a 90s icon when he guest starred on both Baywatch and Friends. He was also featured in the iconic Apple Think Different ad alongside such luminaries as John Lennon, Gandhi, Einstein and Pablo Picasso. Richard Branson is not your typical uptight businessman. He's a creative luminary who has impacted all corners of business and impacted many parts of the world. And that's what he aims to do, each day. He wants to put the things he's passionate about to work for himself, and for the world. "A passionate belief in your business and personal objectives can make all the difference between success and failure. If you aren't proud of what you're doing, why should anybody else be?"

Personal Life

Amid everything, Branson also found time to marry and have children. His first marriage was in the heyday of Virgin Records, when he wed Kristin Tomassi in 1972. That marriage lasted only seven years, and the couple divorced in 1979. Branson had already met his second wife, Joan Templeman, by the time he and Tomassi divorced. And, as Branson admitted much later to Piers Morgan, he had a daughter with Templeman in 1979. Sadly, the child only lived for four days. It wasn't until ten years and two more children later that Branson and Templeman actually tied the knot.

Conclusion

Richard Branson could have continued to struggle through school, doing things he hated and that he didn't care about. He could have fought his way through to becoming a lawyer like his dad, or settling into a middle-class office job in London or the surrounding areas. He could have stuck it out - but he listened to his instincts instead and went with his heart. A dropout, he could have fallen to the bottom and struggled through life feeling sorry for himself for having a learning disability. But his passion and his personality, along with his mother's constant encouragement, propelled him forward. Richard Branson drew on his creativity, took risks, and never shied from a challenge. Every time he failed, he brushed himself off and tried again. He gives back to a world that has given him much, and he continues to succeed as a businessman and as an admired personality. Branson once said "If you want to stand out from the crowd, give people a reason not to forget you." Richard Branson has certainly followed his own advice, and it's helped him lead a successful and passionate life.

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