Finding My Virginity: The New Autobiography

by Sir Richard Branson

PAPERBACK EDITION FULLY UPDATED WITH FOUR NEW CHAPTERSAfter creating more than a dozen billion-dollar businesses from scratch and breaking scores of world records, wouldn't you think you'd done it all?Not Sir Richard Branson. Having brought the Virgin brand to all corners of the globe, he's now reached out to the stars by flying to space with Virgin Galactic.In this non-stop memoir, Richard takes you inside his whirlwind from reinventing his companies in the midst of financial crises and devastating personal losses, to tackling the planet's biggest challenges, to the joys of becoming a 'grand-dude' at 64, to leading his companies through the Covid-19 pandemic and achieving the impossible with Virgin Galactic. Discover the irrepressible spirit, ingenious vision and relentless drive that has made Richard the ultimate entrepreneur.The iconoclastic Virgin founder is still changing the world - and beyond.

Genres: Biography, Business, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Autobiography, Entrepreneurship, Memoir

537 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 5, 2017

Reviews

[Evan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received an advance reading copy of this book, for free, through Goodreads First Reads program in exchange for my honest review.

Richard Branson’s Finding My Virginity: The New Autobiography is not really an “autobiography” in the traditional sense. It’s more a memoir, covering the past 20 years of Branson’s life. But it’s not really a memoir either. It’s just a collection of random stories about Branson’s adventures and his business ventures, featuring lots and lots of name-dropping.

Branson “flies” over Australia while hanging beneath a helicopter. He parachutes off the top of a Las Vegas casino. He stands atop a hot air balloon,10,000 feet in the air. He goes kitesurfing with a naked woman on his back. Branson launches companies such as Virgin Active, Virgin Galactic, and Virgin Money. Branson hobnobs with Nelson Mandela, Barack Obama, George and Amal Clooney, Peter Gabriel, Kate Moss, and Willie Nelson, with whom he shares an affinity for pot.

Reading these stories, I was reminded of the proverb, “Empty vessels make the most noise”. Richard Branson is a legend in his own mind. He (thinks he) is The Most Interesting Man in the World. Having not read his first autobiography, I knew OF Branson, but very little ABOUT Branson. I expected his story, how he made his fortune, perhaps some sage advice (à la Warren Buffett) for those who wish to emulate him. Instead readers are subjected 450+ pages of egomania.

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, he gets political. He is most opinionated when it comes to American politics. Though he is not an American citizen, he opposes the death penalty and he does not support President Donald Trump. In fact, Branson seems to be very jealous of his fellow billionaire due, in large part, to the success of Trump’s reality television program, The Apprentice. Apparently, Branson tried to follow Trump into the world of reality television with an Apprentice-like knockoff, The Rebel Billionaire. Trump’s show ran for 15 seasons. Branson’s show was cancelled after one season.

Branson also has strong opinions regarding British politics; so strong, that following the Brexit vote, he left his homeland and moved to the British Virgin Islands. Just kidding, he moved to the British Virgin Islands many years ago to escape paying taxes.

I flew Virgin Atlantic once. It was nice, but it wasn’t a life changing experience. I was looking forward to reading Finding My Virginity: The New Autobiography and learning about the man behind the Virgin Group. However, there is no inspirational, rags-to-riches story. There is no advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. It is just Branson telling the world, over and over again, how much fun it is to be Branson. Very disappointing.

[LIsa Noell "Rocking the chutzpah!" · Rating 1 out of 5]

The most interesting man in the world. Or so his inner voice says.

[Vanessa Princessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book thanks to Blinkist:

The key message in this book:

Since the fledgling days of Virgin Records in the 1970s, Branson has continued to find ways of providing exceptional customer service and experiences. Wherever there’s room for improvement, Branson is eager to enter the market and get stuck in. But it’s not just airplanes and entertainment, with charitable organizations like Virgin Unite, Branson is dedicated to making the world a better place though prison and drug law reform, reducing carbon emissions and fighting HIV/AIDS in Africa.

Actionable advice:

Take notes.

Branson often reminds his colleagues that no one is above taking notes, and he is always stupefied at CEOs and executives who refuse to take out the old pen and paper to jot down ideas. In his research, he’s found that the executives who take notes are more productive than the ones who don’t since they’re more apt to remember those fleeting moments when a brilliant plan reveals itself.

Suggested further reading:

Losing My Virginity by Richard Branson

Losing My Virginity is the autobiography of self-made businessman Richard Branson. He details his lucrative adventures, beginning with dropping out of school, founding a record label and crossing the Atlantic ocean on a speedboat. In essence, the book is about how cleverness, determination and an adventurous mindset played a role in the making of one of the richest men on earth.

[Галина Ганова · Rating 5 out of 5]

Когато започнах „Как открих наивността си" – новата автобиография на Ричард Брансън не знаех особено много за него, освен факта, че е предприемач и обществена фигура.
В процеса на четенето научих за бизнеса му с конгломерата Virgin и многото индустрии в който се развива, някои от които летателната и космическата.
Пред читателя се разкриват различните роли на Брансън - човекът, бащата и дядото, филантропът и приключенецът. Интересно ми беше да разбера разсъжденията и вижданията му, както и усилията, които полага във всеки аспект от живота си, неговото отношение към хората като цяло, приключенски му дух и мандрата му „Майната му! Да го направим.“ Впечатли ме личността му, а за мен това е формулата една сродна книга да ме заинтригува. След затварянето на последната страница съм вече негов фен и определено ще следя кариерата и начинанията му.
Ще си призная, че открих един дребен недостатък – в началото много се обърквах в многобройните му бизнеси, кой каква дейност извършва .Също така тъй като не си направих проучването за да разбера, че това е втората му биография на моменти се чувствах, че не знам нещо, което трябва да знам, но това си е мой пропуск.
Давам 5 напълно заслужени звезди на тази страхотна книга и силно препоръчвам да се чете.

[Kumar Raghavendra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every once in a while, I come across a book that makes me rethink some of my core principles and the way I'm living my life and want to make significant improvements. This is one of those books.

The man has had a rich life full of adventure, and it is put together in an inspiring way in this book.

I found this more inspiring from a holistic life perspective than the biographies of Steve Jobs, Elon Musk and Leonardo Da Vinci (the other three biographies that really inspired me).

[Viktor Stoyanov · Rating 3 out of 5]

За новата автобиография на Р.Б. мога да кажа две неща:
1. По-добра е от предишната и останалите подобия на биографии, които са излизали до момента.
2. Не е достигнала нивото на други автобиографии, които ни заляха последните години, из между които тези на някои от холивудските звезди бяха доста сполучливи. Голям международен фурор направи една М. Обама, а сър Брансън има къде, къде повече приключения за разказване. От неговата излиза, че най-забавното време за Мишел е било, когато са му гостували на острова, а ето че като книга нейният екип се е справил по-добре от екипа на Върджин.

Правя още едно уточнение:
Това не е бизнес книга! Нито тази, нито някоя от предишните биографии. Наблягам, за да няма заблудени в очакванията си. Да, може да го маркетират като такава, като философия за предприемачество и тнт., но няма да намерите нищо конкретно за бизнес процеси, решения, или предприемачество. Само няколко общи и известни постолати. Много различни битки с конкуренти, администрации и природни стихии.

Вместо това, ако решите да я четете - четете я като приключенска история със семеен привкус на човек с огромно влияние и възможности. Бяха ми приятни вълненията покрай космическата им програма, смях се на разказите му за Тръмпи и оцених семейните ценности, които проповядва. Не е малко и толкова. Подкрепям го и за забраната на вратовръзките. Имам същата непоносимост.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read but wasn't my type of read overall

[Gourang Ambulkar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written. The author seems to have taken copious notes throughout his life. He has addressed many minute details to the words in the conversation.

[Petru Trimbitas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having read the first biography, I had high expectations, but found out that the book feels more like a Wikipedia article with almost no personal comments or thoughts. Events are described very briefly and it feels like an enumeration of things Mr Branson did.

[Sana Vasli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read full of really important lessons on business, life and adventure. The most striking thing about this book is how Branson deals with adversity without compromising his values.

[Nikolay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice book, filled with a lot of varied stories of a man who went through the creation of so many successful businesses. I like his philosophy about the constant search for success in the ideas we believe in and that the leader must be opened and close to his people at all times, no matter what happens.

[Julia Doherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love him or hate him, you can not deny the genius of this man. I was totally engrossed in his autobiography which was extremely well written. There was a mix of business, family and personal challenges. I loved the openness. He admitted to the embarrassing times when he got too drunk and tried chatting up Jenson Button's other half, to his raw emotion when it comes to his family and close friends. Yes, he name-dropped constantly, but it was nice to hear the human side of people such as Obama, Mandella and Kate Winslett. It was also amusing to hear the cheeky side of him and saw how he rose to a challenge. I admire his writing skills and the way he tells a good story.

If you are in business then you will certainly learn a thing or two from reading this book. If anything, you will appreciate that sometimes you need to be sneaky to get results, but above all, family and health are always top of the list. If you struggle with work, life balance, then learn from the expert.

[Ratnah Tanakoor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding My Virginity read more like a Sci-Fi adventure rather than an autobiography, and I must admit that at several instances the themes were so august that I was frustrated, haha, in a good way; I mean, if there exists such a thing as being frustrated in a good way, because, oh wow, how can you not be, when you are reading the daunting adventures of someone who has incarnated only greatness to the world in just a lifetime ?

The more that I read it, the more I was left in an unbelieving state of awe, and today, I can only humbly bow down to his title as 'Sir Richard Branson'. Quirky, fearless and crazy in his own way, this man is not only the epitome of greatness, but a living example and proof of the exceptional outcomes that you can give birth to if you dare to allow your creativity explode into the world. His secret ? He has never believed in the norms to begin with, and does not believe in stopping to try.

Despite that he has already achieved so many great things throughout the past five decades, where now he leaves the Virgin as a legacy onto the world, the ending of this book shocked me. His innovation won't stop and I am so elated to have began my year with this book. To say that it is an inspiration, seems like an understatement. Sir Richard Branson is one of the greatest contemporary forward-thinkers, innovators, and artistic leader that, to me, he carries all the required ingredients for the world to progress and build the future that it aspires to.

We have all seen the mind-blowing technology in our Sci-Fi movies., right. Sir Richard Branson aims at transposing that technology onto the world, which altogether with his exceptional leadership, entrepreneurial and interpersonal skills, have only contributed to his limitless potential whereby today Virgin is eminently diversifying into Virgin Galactic, Virgin Oceanic and Virgin Hyperloop. I am still awestruck and firmly believe that we should all live our full potential during our temporary visit on earth, or at least try.

This is another reason why I have found the book title so relevant that I can only love it more. It is our responsibility to find our potential and try to reach our optimuns, hence Finding My Virginity. More so, reading this book has been mind-opening in so many ways, but most importantly, it made me recognise that right now, Sir Richard Branson is seen as an entrepreneur and leader; while without doubt, his legacy to the world is so powerful that in the coming decades, he will be seen as "the man of the future".

With his catalytic mind, he has gradually only been paving the skeleton of the World's future in terms of technological progress, leadership and management, as well as making humankind understand their very own inner-calling rather than following the thinking framework of what society, schools and other established institutions have imposed on us.

Without hesitation, I claim that Virgin is a revolution whose fruits can only be culturally reaped in a future society where the status quo of the world's developing countries are aligned to the developed ones. This is why leadership and advocating freedom among nations are crucial and both work together as we aspire to evolve as species and human race.

[Rachel Lowry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whilst this book was less of an autobiography, and more of a memoir of how the virgin brand went from strength to strength, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

To say that Richard is an interesting, accomplished entrepreneur is a massive understatement. When you can narrate stories about mentors such as Nelson Mandela, and reference friends such as Beyoncé, your life certainly has some stories worth telling.

What I enjoyed most was the key insight into the ‘virgin’ success. Richard has made his billions by looking at service industries that perform poorly for customers, those where people ‘endure’ rather than ‘enjoy’ their experience (I was able to relate to the poor service on American Airlines well, for some reason they’re particularly bad at customer service, so I can see how virgin airlines took off there), then, Richard swoops in and provides a customer-centered alternative that’s fresh, fun and just a little edgy. I also enjoyed reading about the challenges he has had to overcome, and admire his tenacity.

I’ve read a few reviews noting that people didn’t enjoy the book because it was drenched in ego. Whilst I do understand that criticism, what I took away from the book was that Richard is certainly very proud of what he’s achieved, and, so he should be.

What’s the next chapter for Virgin? Sign me up for the world-wide broadband network, and the galactic adventure ride into space. I for one am glad that this world has Richard Branson in it, he’s fun, smart, sassy, and focused on trying to improve the world whilst making his billions. Power to him I say.

[Cathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding My Virginity, is a book full of stories. He tells all of his story's as a businessman and how he got to where he is. He talks about his regrets and his success. His ups and downs. I believe that this book is fascinating. His biggest failure helping him learn. Small problems that he looked to fix to make it better for customers. Having great ideas and expanding his market. All of this was to make a brand that people trusted. That they wanted to use. This book highlights all of his life, it was motivational and inspiring. I recommend this to anyone trying to start a business or just for a casual read.

[Kanchan Mandanekar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Passion. Purpose. People. Those are the connecting dots from 'Losing my Virginity' to 'Finding my Virginity', two of the most iconic autobiographies by the greatest entrepreneur in the world.

Pumps you with an electrifying energy and purpose, whether you're running your own business, building a great global brand or simply building a beautiful family.

There's rarely any page that does not make you laugh, smile or even shed a tear or two. Let's just say he's the most inspiring "Grand-dude" as he loves to now describe himself. Inspiring.

[Ivar Berens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Screw it, let’s do it!

[Jaroslav Holan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poslouchal jsem audioknihu, která je opravdu dobře namluvena. Richard Branson nám zde předkládá zajímavé příhody člověka z bohaté vrstvy. Zejména mě zaujaly jeho vztahy s prezidenty Barackem Obamou, Donaldem Trupmem a Nelsonem Mandelou. Se všemi se zná důvěrně. Má něco kolem 400 firem ve skupině Virgin. Z toho mě nejvíce zajímala část kdy popisoval projekt Virgin Galactic o cestách do vesmíru. Taky se zmiňuje o spolupráci s Elonem Muskem. Kdybych to shrnul, Richard Branson na mě působí jako vizionář a podnikatel s lidskou tváří. Myslí na dobro svých zaměstnanců mnohem více než třeba Elon Musk nebo Steve Jobs, kteří byli zaměřeni spíše na výkonnost.

Jestli existuje více paralelních vesmírů ve všech ostatních je Richard Branson určitě mrtvý :-). Z knihy mám pocit, že opravdu hodně riskuje. Sice on sám uvádí, že je třeba riskovat uvážlivě, dospěl jsem k názoru, že se této rady moc nedrží. A možná i to je důvodem jeho bohatství. Cesta k jeho úspěchům je poseta velmi riskantními akcemi, které občas končí i smrtí. Ale to se už tak stává, když se chcete dostat za hranice lidských možností, o což Richard Branson usiluje.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very fun read - I looked forward to getting back to the book each night! That said, I'm a fan of creative and meaningful juxtapositions of books, and I would recommend reading this along with Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets. I know, somewhat odd, but here's why: you must remember that in reading the story of Richard Branson, you are reading not of the average or median entrepreneur, but of the entrepreneur who has succeeded wildly. Branson is, in Taleb's terms, the one guy who played Russian roulette every year and lived. Meanwhile, there are lots of entrepreneurs and companies in Virgin's many industries in the cemetery. Luck and randomness have their roles.

That said, you can learn much from Sir Richard's approach to enjoying life, making it adventurous, and not taking oneself too seriously!

[Santiago Romero · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining but repetitive as Sir Richard's books usually are. Perhaps an interesting aspect is that is very up to date. Besides that, the book is more and more of the same light business and life philosophy and lots life anecdotes and lessons on corporate social responsibility and global action programs. Seems to be written by a ghost writer, approved after revising and signed as another product of the Virgin corporation

[Jake · Rating 3 out of 5]

How to get rich, the Branson way:
1. Start a business
2. Hire very smart people to run the business
3. Sell a 49% equity stake to the biggest company in the industry, granting your startup legitimacy and use that money to expand
4. Eventually, sell your 51% stake

Pretty good way to go about it tbh

[James McNamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining.

[Giustino Concetti · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most enlightening biographies and a powerful life & business manifesto

[Ali Alsawad · Rating 2 out of 5]

I expected something better and more organized , its just some talks and chats here and there not recommended

[Svetlana Stoyanova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Страхотно написана автобиография!

[Петя Иванова · Rating 5 out of 5]

Нямам думи просто.
Всеки един би трябвало да я прочете.

[Christopher Benassi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun continuation of the first, but lacked direction and felt less purposeful

[Tejas Niphadkar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Richard being a raconteur, this one's full of his life's anecdotes. While amusing, very less knowledge to glean out of it.

[Gareth Otton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few years ago I read and loved Richard Branson's first biography, Losing My Virginity. I thought that book detailed a life so well lived that it almost read like a fiction novel. It was fast-paced, fun, and filled with anecdotes that will make you smile. This book isn't all that much different on the whole... but there are a few exceptions.

The first exception is natural considering where Richard Branson was in his life at the time of writing this biography. The first book was about starting the Virgin brand from nothing, taking massive risks, and turning it into the giant company it was at the turn of the century. It was an unconventional rags-to-riches story which was a big part of its charm. However, this book was more focused on the dealings of someone who is already rich with a company that is already successful. That is by no means a bad thing, it is still very interesting, but I think that it is much harder to relate to Mr Branson's story as he is that much further removed from his roots and the average reader.

The second exception was that this book focuses less on business and more on philanthropy and politics. Again, this isn't a bad thing, it was even to be expected. As Mr Branson has become more famous and powerful, of course his goals would change and expand beyond the business world. Unfortunately, this second exception is where I struggled (only slightly) with this book.

I think it is in the chapter on Brexit where Mr Branson mentions that he doesn't like to stick his nose into politics all that much, and I'm sure he believes that. However, the book is filled with stories about him rubbing the right shoulders here, talking to right people there, and making waves in a world that most of us would consider being quite political in nature. Again, this isn't a judgement as people have every right to fight for what they believe in.

However, Richard Branson suffers from the same problem as the infamous 'Do No Evil' motto that Google adopted in its early years. The problem with this motto is that Evil can be a subjective term, depending on who is looking at it from what angle. A good case and point of this is the Brexit chapter. Mr Branson believed strongly that Britain should not leave the EU, and he is both entitled to that opinion and might not be wrong. However, by looking at the world through the 'Do No Evil' way of thinking, people who believe differently than yourself must, therefore, be 'doing evil'. As with many other remain campaigners after the infamous vote, Mr Branson is quick to lump all leave voters (over 15 and a half million people) into the categories of either xenophibic, ignorant or stupid.

It's a dangerously one dimensional, oversimplified view that I felt undertones of quite a lot throughout this book. On a number of occasions, there are side comments laid out about individuals, politics and certain events that carry a similarly judgemental tone which put me off at times. One of the many aspects of Mr Branson that I most appreciate in both his biographies is kind-hearted nature and willingness to treat people with respect. It is only a small criticism that in these areas a little bit of bias is starting to slip through, but it was enough to taint my enjoyment of the book as it became a little preachy at times.

Just because someone doesn't agree with your solution to a problem, doesn't mean they're denying the problem exists. A willingness to put yourself in someone else's shoes and try to see something from a different perspective would go a long way to cutting back one-dimensional judgements of people. This would have eliminated the judgemental tone of the narrative and allowed the good deeds of Mr Branson to shine all the brighter without feeling preachy.

Overall though, this is another excellent outing that further details a life to aspire to. I'd be surprised if there was a third entry in this series, but you never know with Mr Branson. Approaching 70 years old, and still he is doing things that most of us don't do in our twenties.

This is another biography I highly recommend reading, and it was a comfortable 4 stars.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable, inspiring and occasionally infuriating - seemingly like the unstoppable Richard Branson himself (hard to believe he is nearly 70) - this book follows on from his hugely successful ‘rags to riches’ autobiography Losing My Virginity. Surprisingly perhaps, it’s very nearly as engaging as that instalment.

Autobiographies of the hyper successful like Branson can descend into tiring name-dropping and self-aggrandisement but the author in this case just manages to keep his impressive roll-call of friends and collaborators in context. It’s hard to talk about The Elders global leadership initiative without name-checking his long-standing friendship with Nelson Mandela, after all - or Virgin Galactic collaborations with Paul Allen or other business discussions with Larry Page, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg.

What I particularly enjoyed were explorations of Branson’s various business ventures - from space travel to airlines, trains to finance, hotels to music, gyms to - and what worked, or not. Branson has spawned a multitude of ideas over his fifty years in business, and is sketching ideas and taking notes every day. His insatiable appetite for new or different ways of doing things - and taking risks - seems largely undimmed, and he is very candid about his personal struggles and various official or competitive opposition to Virgin.

As he has aged, inevitably the author has started to ruminate on his legacy. Obviously the Virgin brand reach and impact has been phenomenal, but Branson now seems to spend equal time fostering a new generation of entrepreneurs, supporting Developing nation initiatives and campaigning for various causes. As ever, this involves new ideas, high-powered collaborations and a quest for real, tangible impact.

For any entrepreneur or aspiring change-maker, Finding My Virginity provides plenty of food for thought and business and life lessons to absorb. Imbued with Branson’s irreverence and lust for life, it’s also an enjoyable read.