The Virgin Way

Sir Richard Branson and Virgin

Recently, I asked a girl at a Virgin Record store if employees at the store were called virgins. She smiled and blushed before saying why would anyone want to do that. I often wondered the same thing but I wondered more about why Sir Richard Branson choose the name Virgin back in 1970 for his multi billion dollar empire.

Ever since Branson came on the scene selling records the virgin concept has never been the same. A Google search for the word “virgin” brings up Virgin Atlantic and virgin.com before virginity. I think he choose the name Virgin because he sold new or unused records at the same price others were selling old, beat up ones. Getting something new at the price of something old was a concept that was revolutionary at the time and remains popular up to today.

Branson’s Virgin Empire is made up of 360 companies with the most famous ones being Virgin Records, for those who can’t get Limewire to work and Virgin Atlantic, the world’s most popular airline for both the careful and the carefree. Recently he added Virgin Balloon Flights for those who are into hot air such as politicians and Virgin Galactic for those who think the world is not enough. It was rumored that Virgin Galactic was originally called Virgin Space but the name was soon shelved after some complained that the name, Virgin Space, was too suggestive and an oxymoron. If you really want to see the world you should book now with Virgin Galactic since space is naturally limited.

Virgin Space?

Sir Richard Branson owns an island in the Caribbean called Necker Island. Necker Island is naturally one of the British Virgin Islands and is described as Sir Richard Branson’s Private Island, stunning, and unspoilt. Branson bought the island for a mere £178,000 in 1979. Several famous celebrities have stayed at Necker Island including the late Princess Diana, Janet Jackson, Harrison Ford, Eddie Murphy and Oprah Winfrey, all virgins at one time.

Necker Island

Like most billionaires, Sir Richard has a blog where the hardship of the billionaire lifestyle is chronicled. Sir Richard can never be described as conventional and his way of doing business and living his life can only be described as fearless and optimistic. People are always curious as to what will come under the Virgin umbrella next and also wonder if the Virgin Empire will ever get screwed.