Richard Branson, Virgin King: Inside Richard Branson's Business Empire

Richard Branson is one of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs and possibly its most successful public relations man. Whether he’s promoting the Sex Pistols, hitting British Airways with a multimillion-dollar libel suit, breaking the speed record for crossing the Atlantic by boat, or cracking a monopoly on condoms in the UK, Branson cultivates his public image relentlessly: hip, charming, casual, open-minded, nice, fun.

But behind the dazzling smile, practical jokes, and notorious spontaneity (he once flipped Ivana Trump upside down at a party), there is another Richard Branson—shrewd, calculating businessman, relentless negotiator, almost compulsively daring risk taker. Based on interviews with Branson himself, his key advisers, his partners, friends, and enemies—and drawing on secret documents, letters, and court papers—this book reveals the compelling history of both a business empire and the man at its center. Richard Branson: Virgin King is the first fully independent, unauthorized account of one of the greatest success stories of our time.

About the Author
Tim Jackson is a columnist and author of Turning Japanese: The Fight for Industrial Control of the New Europe (Harper Collins UK). He lives in London with his family.