Richard Branson
Richard Branson invites Graham to the Bahamas as Sir Richard hosts his annual Necker Cup Tennis Pro-Am. The three-day episode taping includes an In Depth interview with the British billionaire and humanitarian, plus kitesurfing and commentary from Martina Navratilova and other Pro-Am competitors. Branson shares some of his most impactful stories, including death-defying hot air balloon expeditions, excessive Formula 1 celebrations and overcoming hardships as he ventured into new industries, including commercial space travel.
Richard Branson
EPISODES
Richard Branson: Cheating death in a giant balloon
Sir Richard Branson shares harrowing details of his multiple near-death experiences as he attempted to pioneer hot air balloon expeditions across the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean and around the world.
Richard Branson: Learning the art of bullsh*t
Sir Richard Branson shares some of the creative lies he’s enlisted to save money, make money and to fake success as a young magazine publisher.
Richard Branson on British Airways’ dirty tricks
Sir Richard Branson recounts the origins of his airline business (Virgin Atlantic) and talks of his legal battle against British Airways, which was guilty of a “dirty tricks” smear campaign against Branson and his blossoming airline.
Richard Branson: Pioneering space travel
Sir Richard Branson discusses his numerous outer space ventures, including Virgin Galactic Airways, VIrgin Orbit and OneWeb, which has plans to launch up to 3,000 satellites into orbit to provide internet access to the estimated four billion people on Earth still without it. Branson also candidly recounts a tragic 2014 Virgin Galactic test flight in which the pilot was killed and a unanimous decision to stay the course among Virgin Galactic stakeholders.
Richard Branson: My approach to life
Sir Richard Branson shares his most notable failure: an aggressive misstep in Times Square that placed Virgin Cola in the crosshairs of Coca-Cola and led to the swift retail disappearance of Virgin Cola. Branson also tells of his optimistic approach to life and especially business opportunities.
Richard Branson: Dyslexia actually helped me
Sir Richard Branson opens up about the pros and cons of his dyslexia, including a focus on individual strengths, his late adoption of proper business terms and frequent, bloody beatings at boarding school.
Richard Branson: My childhood
Sir Richard Branson shares stories from his childhood, including how it took three times around the garden to convince his parents to let him leave school and anecdotes showcasing the difference in parenting between his mom and dad.
Richard Branson on work-life balance
Richard Branson discusses family life, including stories on his wife Joan and children Holly and Sam. Sir Richard tells of the turning point where he fully committed to Joan, how he had the privilege of spending more time with his kids than many dads and why he believes both Holly and Sam will do well as the future faces of Virgin Group.
Richard Branson: Hostage talks with Saddam Hussein
Sir Richard Branson shares how he was uniquely positioned to command a successful hostage negotiation with former President of Iraq, Saddam Hussein. He also looks back on the regret of not coordinating a meeting between President Nelson Mandela and Hussein in time to stop “an unnecessary war.”
Richard Branson: Crazy lunch with Donald Trump
Sir Richard Branson shares details of his encounters with President Donald Trump, including a lunch where Trump focused on his latest bankruptcy and his mission to destroy those who wouldn’t lend him money. Branson goes on to recount a “childish” letter from Trump and a sudden change of tone once Trump was campaigning for the 2016 presidential election.
Richard Branson: Surviving Hurricane Irma
Sir Richard Branson discusses Necker Island – his private island in the Caribbean. He looks back on building it to be carbon neutral and self-sufficient by 2019, but also the 2017 destruction at the hands of Hurricane Irma and his philanthropic efforts to help rebuild the Caribbean.
Richard Branson: Accidentally peeing on fan
Sir Richard Branson looks back on his introduction to Formula 1, getting involved in the Formula E racing series and a highly intoxicated fan encounter while celebrating his first F1 victory.
Richard Branson: Tennis with Nadal, McEnroe, Jimmy Buffett?
Sir Richard Branson shares the role tennis plays in his daily life and looks back on some of his more memorable matches over the decades, including playing against John McEnroe and a doubles match alongside Rafael Nadal in which they beat Jimmy Buffett and Mike Brown.
Necker Cup highlights: Richard Branson and tequila
Attendees of the 2017 Necker Cup Pro-Am Tennis Event – including Martina Navratilova, Justine Henin, Mike Richards and Brad Gilbert – share their favorite moments from the competition and offer high praise for event host, Sir Richard Branson.
Kitesurfing with Richard Branson
Sir Richard Branson goes kitesurfing in the Bahamas. He talks of being one of its earliest adopters and how it helps him unplug for a few hours.
Richard Branson: Vacationing with President Obama
Sir Richard Branson on welcoming President Obama and his family to Necker Island the day after Obama ended his eight-year term, plus the President’s knack for quickly picking up kitesurfing.
