Richard Branson
BORN
1950, son of an English barrister and his former airline hostess wife.
EDUCATION
Beaten at Scaitcliffe Preparatory School for poor grades. Skipped college and moved to London in the late 1960s to work on Student, a magazine he co-founded.
FIRST HIT
Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells album, released in 1973 by Branson's Virgin Records.
FAMILY
Marriage to American Kristen Tomassi ends after wife-swapping episode. Marries Joan Templeman in 1989 after living together for a dozen years and having two children with her, Holly and Sam.
PERSONAL WEALTH
Estimated at $1.7 billion.
DATA: LOSING MY VIRGINITY, VIRGIN KING, BUSINESS WEEK
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