Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #217823 in Books
• Published on: 2001-04-02
• Binding: Paperback
• 393 pages

Synopsis
This is a sensational critical biography of the man and his business practices. No British tycoon is more popular, few claim to be richer and none has masterminded a more recognisable brand than Richard Branson. What is behind the success of the buccaneering balloonist, the tabloids' favourite celebrity nude, the 'grinning jumper' and the scourge of corporate goliaths? Helped by eyewitness accounts of more than 250 people with direct experience of Branson, Tom Bower has uncovered a different tale to the one so eagerly promoted by Virgin's publicists. Here is the full story of Branson: his businesses, his friendships, his ambition, his law-breaking, his drug-taking, his bullying. From the cockpit of a balloon in the clouds to the centre of Branson's operations in his Holland Park home, the book is an intimate scrutiny of exactly how Richard Branson created himself and sold himself. Tom Bower's biography reveals Branson to be a single-minded profiteer who, while occasionally generous to others, has a fixed purpose to enhance his family's wealth in secret off-shore trust funds.

Instead of a glittering saint, Branson emerges as a devious actor, proud of plucking for his own profit the good ideas of others. Now fifty, Branson finds himself battling for survival. The man who so wanted to run the nation's lottery is, up close, something of a lottery himself.

Customer Reviews

a different perspective
I have read pretty much most books on this great man, but i feel that a lot of what the author has wrote is probably closer to the truth in more ways than one. No body gets to the position that branson has, financially or in terms of publicity, if he was totally innocent of some claims made in this book. It doesnt detract in anyway the inspiration he instills in normal everyday folk to better themselves but you do have a nagging thought at the back of your head , on whether he really did get all this by smiling and being mr nice guy to everyone around him ???
Also the fact that he is uk`s best known and respected businessman, most of his wealth is stored overseas, in essence, depriving the uk tax system from the bulk of his wealth, `rich - leterally, coming from someone who loves to wave the british flag in an effort to drum up more business.

Branson should be pleased, not disgusted
The author has done a good job of making Branson look like an evil ruthless go-getter, which makes it a good book for readers and even Branson's own image. I quite like the dark Branson better than that innocent-looking smiling figure on television we are so used to.

Democracy is an illusion. Rule by the fittest is the real world we live in.
Poverty is not a condition, it is a failing.
Branson is a success.

Jealousy
Its rather obvious that this book was written in the motive of jealousy and envy rather than on the basis of fact. Of course he wants to aqcuire more money, who doesnt but he is always attempting to pioneer in his various feilds if your still unconvinced that he copies other peoples ideas and bullys people simply check out something called virgin galactic the first attemp to send humans into space a great acheivement.