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5 Fakta ‘Short and Sweet’ Tentang Richard Branson

Richard Branson, tokoh usahawan dari Britain, dilahirkan di Surrey England pada 18 July 1950. Umum mengetahui beliau pemilik Virgin Atlantic, syarikat penerbangan yang mencipta keuntungan berbilion dollar dengan konsep penerbangan bajetnya.

1. Tapi tahukah anda, beliau seorang penghidap disleksia. Zaman persekolahannya, beliau menghadapi kesukaran dalam pembelajaran dan akhirnya beliau berhenti sekolah pada umur 16 tahun. Tapi ini menjadi titik tolak beliau ke dalam dunia perniagaan dan sekaligus membuktikan beliau boleh berjaya sungguhpun mempunyai gejala disleksia.

2. Selain Virgin Records, projek keusahawanan beliau berkembang kepada pelbagai industri seperti Virgin Galactic iaitu syarikat pelancongan angkasa, Envision Virgin Racing iaitu syarikat pemotoran dan perlumbaan, Virgin Care iaitu syarikat dalam bidang kesihatan dan banyak lagi. Beliau berani mencuba dan memperluaskan empayar perniagaan kepada cabang industri yang berbeza-beza.

3. Beliau seorang dermawan dan mengasaskan sebuah organisasi berasaskan bukan keuntungan bernama Virgin Unite. Beliau mempunyai pengaruh amal dan usaha amal di kalangan usahawan-usahawan terkaya dunia. Virgin Unite antaranya menyokong isu kemanusiaan, alam sekitar, perubahan iklim, memperkasakan usahawan muda dan membantu komuniti yang memerlukan.

4. Richard Branson yang memiliki Virgin Racing dan Tony Fernandes yang memiliki Lotus Racing pernah membuat pertaruhan permotoran di mana siapa yang kalah dalam musim F1 ketika itu, perlu menjadi pramugari dan bekerja di dalam salah satu penerbangan milik pemenang. Richard Branson kalah dalam pertaruhan itu, dan dia mengotakan janjinya dengan menjadi pramugari di penerbangan Air Asia dari Perth ke Kuala Lumpur. Ternyata beliau bersifat lucu dan berpegang pada janji!

5. Beliau membeli pulau Necker pada umur 28 tahun, hanya selepas 6 tahun menubuhkan Virgin Group. Namun apabila Covid-19 melanda, beliau terpaksa menawarkan pulau peribadinya sebagai jaminan perniagaannya yang sangat terkesan dengan kejatuhan sektor pelancongan di serata dunia. Pulau Necker diletakkan sebagai cagaran untuk pinjaman komersial untuk menyelamatkan Virgin Atlantic.

Beliau adalah tokoh yang boleh dijadikan inspirasi kepada usahawan anak muda. Beliau pernah mengungkapkan, “Jangan malu dengan kegagalan kamu, tetapi belajarlah daripadanya dan bermula semula.”

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