Dewey Decimal338/.04/092 B
SynopsisRichard 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.