Sir Richard Branson runs a vast business empire. Its more than 300 companies span every industry imaginable.

Branson dropped out of high school -- due to dyslexia. He started his first business that year and has never looked back.

Yeah and he would have to be one of the worlds best publicists.

"dropped out of high school".

so what does high school and university teach you? i'm generalising of course, but most of the free thinking people in the world haven't got a uni education. you can't be a free thinker and a product of a uni, unless of course, you are a rebel and uni's don't encourage that. if you are a rebel, you are a minority and you're on your own and then you can be a free thinker. universities lecture, you listen and you learn what the lecturers tell you. in the school of free thinkers, you look and you learn from mistakes or other peoples good ideas and try to improve on that idea.

and what is thailand? a country of uni graduates. if you haven't got a degree, you haven't got a job. and of course, i am generalising again. when i think of thailand, i don't think of a country of free thinkers. who's got a red/yellow shirt?

It just shows that whenever you believe in something and put all of your energy in it, you can make it happen. Thanks for this clip. His autobiography is worth reading as well.

BJ -- marketing is just that selling yourself or what you have to offer the general populous..I have flown virgin air and must say I was rather pleased so.. what is a 'self made' person? this of course means different things to some. but branson appears to be pretty close to the def. as you can get.

johnno -- thx for replying, your thoughts are very well said and presented... I agree university gives individuals beneficial structure and basic philosophical conceptual proven applied applications but I agree when you attend you are mos def in the box.

great thinkers are just that -- able to think inside the box and to also look outside of it. those inside of the box are usually set into their traditional status quo ways and means of thought.... the hard part is to grab those inside and bring them outside to see the light with you and your new ideas etc..

eh crisghent how's it going haven't seen you on TF in quit sometime.. I will have to give it a read also the reason of this interest is awhile back I was on a flight with a brit and of course he wouldn't shut up about branson I have recently had some spare time so I have been google ing him I will have to give the book a read also if it is your suggestion. take it easy dude...

I use to work for him, he is very nice to his staff too

I love this guy cos he'll bring average Joe into space! I can't wait, just waiting for the regular flights to start and prices to go down a bit.

www.virgingalactic.com

cool Geee thx for sharing that -- branson seems to be very interesting guy with some great ideas...

hey yamahacrasher did you read this article about a space resort? It's just a matter of time before we have space travel available for the average billionaire to afford...lol

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33579859/ns/technology_and_science-space/?GT1=43001

I have a lot of respect for Sir Richard, he's transformed the airline business (among others) almost single-handed. The problem for me is that it's over 40 years since I qualified to fly with VIRGIN Atlantic :-)