Richard Branson

Businessman

1950-07-18

Quotes by Richard Branson

• I can honestly say that I have never gone into any business purely to make money. If that is the sole motive then I believe you are better off not doing it. A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts.

  Read quote

• The first thing that has to be recognized is that one cannot train someone to be passionate--it's either in their DNA or it's not.

  Read quote

• to be successful, you have to be out there, you have to hit the ground running

  Read quote

• I can honestly say that I have never gone into any business purely to make money. If that is the sole motive then I believe you are better off not doing it. A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts.

  Read quote

• to be successful, you have to be out there, you have to hit the ground running

  Read quote

• The first thing that has to be recognized is that one cannot train someone to be passionate--it's either in their DNA or it's not.

  Read quote

• The music industry is a strange combination of having real and intangible assets: pop bands are brand names in themselves, and at a given stage in their careers their name alone can practically gaurantee hit records.

  Read quote

• In this digital age, it doesn't really matter if you are in Canary Wharf or the Caribbean; there are opportunities waiting to be grasped by entrepreneurs.

  Read quote

• I love Africa, and Ulusaba, our home in South Africa, is pretty special. It's on a rocky hill overlooking the bush, and from your room, you can see lions stalking zebras by the waterhole.

  Read quote

• If you want to be a Millionaire, start with a billion dollars and launch a new airline.

  Read quote

• Starting your own business isn't just a job - it's a way of life.

  Read quote

• On one of my last days at school, the headmaster said I would either end up in prison or become a millionaire. That was quite a startling prediction, but in some respects, he was right on both counts!

  Read quote

• It's rare for a startup to make money immediately, so you need to make sure that you have enough saved or that you have another income stream that can support you.

  Read quote

• I suppose Virgin is an unusual brand in that I suspect we're the only 'way of life' brand in the world. We're one of maybe the top 30 best known brands in the world, yet if you look at the other 29, they all specialize in one area. Whether it's Google, Coca-Cola, Microsoft, etc., they all generally specialize in one area.

  Read quote

• More businesses should be following Apple's stance in encouraging more investment in sustainability.

  Read quote

• For a successful entrepreneur it can mean extreme wealth. But with extreme wealth comes extreme responsibility. And the responsibility for me is to invest in creating new businesses, create jobs, employ people, and to put money aside to tackle issues where we can make a difference.

  Read quote

• When I started Virgin from a basement in west London, there was no great plan or strategy. I didn't set out to build a business empire... For me, building a business is all about doing something to be proud of, bringing talented people together and creating something that's going to make a real difference to other people's lives.

  Read quote

• I think, because I started Virgin when I was a teenager, it has become a part of me, like my family, and I am motivated by ambition for it, almost as if it were a child.

  Read quote

• When I was a kid, I had a tendency to criticize. But when I did, my mum would whisk me off to the bathroom to stand in front of a mirror. Ten minutes, never less. To think about how criticism is a poor reflection on the one who criticizes.

  Read quote

• I always find the time to exercise - kitesurfing, tennis or cycling - and to spend time with my loved ones.

  Read quote