by Bower, Tom
‘He offered to help Ecclestone reduce costs …’ Agence France-Presse, 31 March 2009.
‘“Everyone is just frozen in the headlights …”’ New York Times, 5 April 2009.
‘“The prospects of healthy profits …”’ Financial Times, 11 November 2010.
‘“They’ve certainly got me addicted”’ Motorsport, 22 June 2009.
‘“We’re the new car on the block …”’ Reuters, 15 December 2009.
‘Converted to Branson’s credo, Booth exaggerated …’ Crash.net, 8 January and 17 March 2010.
‘Formula One, he complained …’ 23 December 2009.
‘Without spending the same as Ferrari …’ 16 December 2009.
‘Eales was unaware of a recent admission …’ Sydney Morning Herald, 7 May 2011.
‘“Virgin cars will limp to …”’ Crash.net, 3 March 2010.
‘Formula One, he added, could only prosper …’ Crash.net, 17 March 2010.
‘“We’re still hoping to be the best of the new teams …”’ 6 April 2010.
‘At that moment, a computer glitch …’ 27 September 2010.
‘“This cements our place on the Formula One grid,” said Branson …’ New York Post, 17 November 2010.
‘Soon after this latest setback, Branson posted …’ virgin.com/richard-branson/blog.
‘Days after leaving Abu Dhabi, Media Control …’ 26 November 2010.
CHAPTER 12
‘“Kate Middleton turns to Sir Richard Branson …”’ 2 August 2009.
‘“It’s a fantastic halo” effect …’ Independent, 10 December 2012.
‘Together, they had launched Global Zero …’ New York Times, 10 December 2008.
‘Angered that his group of self-appointed …’ Reuters, 8 May 2009.
‘“The Elders”, he said, “are in …”’ Wealth, winter 2009.
‘Israel, urged Carter, should negotiate …’ Washington Times, 28 January 2009.
‘The resentment towards him …’ Richard Branson, Screw Business as Usual (Virgin Books, 2011), p. 252.
‘Eric Bost, the American ambassador in Pretoria …’ Independent, 14 October 2011.
‘Branson denied Bost’s report …’ Observer, 27 January 2008.
Ever since 1969, when he had …’ Tom Bower, Branson (HarperCollins), pp. 23, 26/31, 44.
‘Without the benefit of BA’s disasters …’ 30 July 2010.
‘He had lied about his purchase-tax fraud …’ Tom Bower, Branson (HarperCollins), p. xx.
‘In Screw Business as Usual he had written …’ Richard Branson, Screw Business as Usual (Virgin Books, 2011), p. 57.
‘Although he denied having “direct contact” …’ Daily Telegraph, 14 July 2009.
‘Richard Latham QC, the British prosecutor, intended …’ The Times, 29 April 2010.
‘“A staggering omission by the OFT,” a defence lawyer …’ R v. George and others, Ref. T20080944, day 11, pp. 90/93.
‘Yet throughout that period, the two airlines were furiously …’ ibid., day 11, p. 26.
‘Every lawyer in the courtroom noted …’ ibid., day 14, pp. 23, 38.
‘From the outset, the four accused …’ ibid., day 10, p. 13.
‘According to the defence’s claims, Virgin was refusing …’ ibid., day 10, p. 42.
‘Virgin’s executives, claimed a defence lawyer, “thought it was …”’ ibid., day 10, p. 41.
‘In other words, the OFT relied …’ ibid., day 15, p. 15.
‘Herbert Smith’s letter to Moore asking …’ ibid., day 14, P. 39.
‘Just before the trial started, Virgin agreed to show …’ ibid., day 7, p. 54.
‘Herbert Smith, however, declined to disclose …’ ibid., day 14, p. 26.
‘“This is deeply disquieting,” said the judge …’ ibid., day 11, pp. 112, 115.
‘Just before the lawyers ended that day’s arguments …’ ibid., day 11, p. 34.
‘“That sounds good to me,” said Moore …’ ibid., day 7, p. 115.
At exactly 1.56 p.m., ten minutes …’ ibid., day 10, p. 39.
‘In its defence, Virgin claimed that Knowles’ message …’ ibid., day 12, p. 27.
‘Nevertheless, the disclosure …’ ibid., day 15, p. 14. p. 193 ‘The defence had been denied access …’ ibid., day 12, p. 26.
‘Virgin was now accused by the defence …’ ibid., day 13, p. 19; day 12, p. 35.
‘Herbert Smith found themselves criticised …’ ibid., day 12, p. 33; day 13, p. 22; day 14, pp. 25, 33.
‘“My feelings are of grave …”’ ibid., day 13, pp. 19, 24, 30.
‘Moore added, “I might ring Iain Burns at British Airways …”’ ibid., day 7, p. 97; day 11, p. 46.
‘Moore then called again and heard that BA …’ ibid., day 9, p. 90; day 11, p. 39.
‘The prosecutor revealed to the judge …’ ibid., day 14, p. 14; day 15, p. 10.
‘After his client’s acquittal, Ben Emmerson QC …’ ibid., day 15, P. 37.
‘The OFT’s last gasp was an announcement …’ Guardian, 23 April 2010; Reuters, 10 May and 22 April 2010.
‘Virgin Atlantic set aside £35.4 million …’ Virgin Atlantic Accounts 2013, note 6, p. 19.
‘He dismissed a further 600 employees …’ Bloomberg, 14 August 2009.
‘“I wouldn’t forgive anybody …”’ Daily Telegraph, 18 January 2012.
‘The masquerade of the underdog …’ Time, 5 September 2010.
‘“The preliminary decision beggars belief …”’ Independent, 15 February 2010.
Over the following weeks, he fumed that the alliance …’ Financial Times, 13 April 2010.
‘“I’ve long argued …”’ Time, 5 September 2010.
‘Amusing quips and his description …’ ibid,
‘Asked, “Is Virgin Atlantic going to be around …”’ USA Today, 4 August 2011.
‘“Anyone can make an offer …”’ Reuters, 6 June 2011.
‘Although the airline, which had 11 per cent of …’ Associated Press, 10 December 2009.
‘criticised the decision not to open one …’ BBC, 16 March 2012.
‘The Germans were equally bewildered …’ City A.M., 9 September 2010.
‘“It is vital”, Branson protested immediately …’ Dow Jones, 15 April 2012.
‘They had secretly been pleased …’ Independent, 7 April 2012.
‘Those critics applauded Walsh for adding …’ Daily Telegraph, 18 January 2012.
“The only reason that British Airways …”’ Sunday Telegraph, 11 March 2012.
‘“We will challenge every aspect of this process …”’ Dow Jones, 15 April 2012.
‘He demanded that government regulators …’ 12 December 2011.
“The decision is a travesty …”’ Bloomberg, 4 April 2012.
‘“Whatever he says”, replied Walsh …’ Guardian, 30 March 2012.
‘Isolated, he was now compelled to search for an alliance …’ Daily Telegraph, 21 February 2011.
‘In May 2011, he admitted …’ Evening Standard, 20 May 2011.
‘His potential partners were Air France …” 27 May 2011.
‘His contemplation of the sale of his own …’ Bloomberg, 26 May 2011.
CHAPTER 13
“This can happen quickly and smoothly …”’ Financial Times, 26 May 2011.
‘Two years later, the regulators ordered …’ 27 May 2011.
‘After Virgin Money invested £37.3 million …’ Financial Times, 30 January 2010.
‘After the FSA, the government regulator …’ 7 April 2010.
‘Branson offered less than £400 million …’ 6 May 2010.
‘RBS rejected his bid …’ Bloomberg, 7 May and 4 August 2010.
‘Buying the Lloyds branches was …’ Reuters, 25 July 2011.
‘“We’ve come to Australia …”’ The Age, 30 July 2010; Sydney Morning Herald, 30 July 2010.
‘The business was later reported …’ Australian Financial Review, 2 February
2009.
‘The lure was promises of lower interest rates …’ Sydney Morning Herald, 28 July 2010; other source: 23 September 2010.
‘Despite his repeated claims of success …’ 10 April 2013.
The remaining prize was Northern Rock …’ Financial Times, 5 January 2013.
‘Unconcerned by Gordon Brown’s distress …’ Guardian, 16 February 2010.
‘“It would be dangerous …”’ Evening Standard, 16 February 2010.
‘In 2009/10, Virgin Group Holdings had paid …’ 29 July 2011.
‘For the same reason, his second …’ Richard Branson, Screw Business as Usual (Virgin Books), p. 87.
‘Bids were invited for the bank’s …’ Guardian, 25 December 2010.
‘The government’s price of about …’ National Audit Office report, 18 May 2012. p. 208 ‘With no other bidder …’ Daily Mail, 20 November 2011.
‘Baxby praised “a very charismatic founder …”’ The Australian, 24 December 2011.
‘“That isn’t the way it should …”’ Showbiznews, 27 September 2012.
‘In New York, he told his audience about …’ Reuters, 1 December 2011; Wall Street Journal, 7 December 2011.
‘Branson’s purchase of Northern Rock would …’ Richard Branson, Screw Business as Usual (Virgin Books), p. 129.
‘Back in the UK and dressed in …’ Northern Echo, 10 January 2012.
‘“Our customers”, he said …’ Financial Times, 10 January 2012; Independent, 10 December 2012.
‘Virgin Money announced charges on current accounts …’ 13 December 2012.
‘In Screw Business, he had criticised …’ Richard Branson, Screw Business as Usual (Virgin Books), p. 131.
‘Together they amounted to over …’ Guardian, 23 November 2011.
‘“This is of course complete garbage …”’ 23 November 2011.
‘Other than pledging to offer …’ 27 June 2013.
‘Within hours of the announcement …’ Sunday Times, 14 October 2012.
‘Previously, Branson had offered …’ The Times, 27 June 2013.
CHAPTER 14
‘The report, “Customer Service in the NHS” …’ http://socialinvestigations.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/labour-used-virgin-restricted-report-to.html.
‘Slightly more helpful was Virgin Active …’ 7 February 2011.
‘After studying medicine for five years, Branson’s …’ 28 July 2008.
‘Branson wanted his daughter …’ Financial Times, 21 October 2012.
‘Fearing the erosion of the brand’s …’ New Zealand Herald, 22 October 2012.
‘By the end, about 200 doctors …’ Guardian, 9 April 2008.
‘Virgin, said Branson, would be …’ 4 March 2010.
‘In Screw Business as Usual he wrote that health …’ Richard Branson, Screw Business as Usual (Virgin Books), p. 179.
‘Biopsies of suspected skin cancers …’ 25 March 2011.
‘patients discovered that Virgin was employing …’ ‘Skin Complaints’, Private Eye, April 2011.
‘Based on Assura’s network …’ Guardian, 7 January 2013.
‘The budget was £500 million.’ 7 April 2012.
‘An objection by the mother …’ Guardian, 8 October 2012.
‘GPs would continue to provide …’ 25 October 2012.
‘The only profiteers were …’ The Times, 5 December 2012.
‘“Global drug strategy should …”’ Globe and Mail, 26 April 2012.
‘After all, in the past he had admitted …’ Daily Mail, 25 January 2012.
‘Since the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes …’ BBC, 31 May 2013.
‘Against the backdrop of the ferocious drugs war …’ Guardian, 4 June 2011
‘“Stop criminal penalties for people who use drugs …”’ Globe and Mail, 26 April 2012
‘In Portugal, they replied, decriminalisation had caused …’ The Portuguese Institute for Drugs and Drug Addiction found cocaine use increased from 0.9 per cent to 1.9 per cent between 2001 and 2007.
‘The actual United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime …’ Kathy Gyngell, 19 September 2011. 4.8 per cent of the population take drugs once a year and just 0.6 per cent of the population, or 210 million people, are permanent abusers.
‘On one interpretation, the UN’s report …’ Kathy Gyngell, 19 April 2013.
‘They accused him of wishful thinking.’ Kathy Gyngell, 4 July 2013.
‘The fall in consumption in Britain …’ The Times, 17 June 2013.
‘In January 2012, Branson was quoted …’ Daily Mail, 25 January 2012.
‘In a letter to Kathy Gyngell …’ Letter to Kathy Gyngell, 6 December 2011.
‘Ultimately, the committee’s report in 2013 …’ 10 December 2012; 21 January 2012.
CHAPTER 15
‘With unhesitating certainty, he described …’ Wall Street Journal, 8 December 2009.
‘No fewer than 50,000 people …’ New York Times, 27 May 2009.
‘“We’ve had very rapid growth …”’ 3 December 2009.
‘Although Lovelock preached …’ LA Times, 6 July 2009.
‘On the contrary, Whitehorn told Flight International …’ Daily Telegraph, 8 January 2009.
‘He even repeated his unequivocal description …’ New York Times, 27 May 2009.
‘The justification, said Richardson …’ Wall Street Journal, 4 January 2009.
‘Murphy pitched a scenario of Abu Dhabi …’ 26 December 2009.
‘At the end of July 2009 …’ Independent, 1 August 2009.
‘“This has been one of the most incredible …”’ ibid.
‘“When will you do the first trip …”’ Sky News, 8 December 2009.
‘Three months later, Reuters headlined a dispatch …’ Reuters, 4 March 2010.
‘Shortly after, the news agency reported …’ 23 March 2010.
‘“We’re eighteen months away …”’ Dow Jones, 27 September 2010.
‘News of the ten-minute glide …’ 11 October 2010.
‘“We’ll be flying from here in nine to …”’ Associated Press, 23 October 2010.
‘XCOR, the small neighbouring …’ 31 January 2010.
‘“It’s just like launching Virgin Atlantic …”’ 27 April 2011.
‘A year later, he told another interviewer …’ Forbes, 19 September 2012.
p ‘In the aftermath, others accused him …’ Tom Bower, Branson (HarperCollins), pp. 56, 63.
‘For years Branson had asserted …’ New York Times, 27 May 2009.
‘To dampen the dispute …’ 23 November 2010.
‘Branson presented the expedition …’ LA Times, 5 April 2011.
‘Nevertheless, posing with Welsh …’ 5 April 2011.
‘“If I were to guarantee anything …”’ Fox TV, 28 April 2011.
‘The glide would be managed …’ 4 May 2011.
‘Virgin Unite and Galactic Unite, he said …’ Seattle Times, 15 October 2011.
‘“The tail stall was a nail-biter …”’ Space Safety, 3 October 2011.
‘“In 2012, we will have our first commercial …”’ Space.com, 29 December 2010.
‘“The rocket tests are going extremely well …”’ Agence France-Presse, 14 September 2011.
‘“We are now very close to making …”’ Space.com, 29 December 2010.
‘“Peter Pan is my favourite character …”’ 27 April 2011.
‘Branson’s publicists had arranged a stunt …’ LA Times, 18 October 2011; BBC, 18 October 2011.
‘The expected 140,000 tourists …’ Wall Street Journal, 2 September 2011.
‘To limit the taxpayers’ exposure …’ 23 February 2011.
‘One week later, David Mackay …’ Wall Street Journal, 26 October 2011.
‘The company would need to spend billions …’ 21 April 2012.
‘The actor, said Branson …’ Associated Press, 21 March 2012.
‘Bassim Haidar, a Lebanese tycoon, wrote that …’
Daily Express, 10 May 2012.
‘“In the suborbital area …”’ Daily Record, 1 March 2012.
‘Virgin Galactic, said Pomerantz …’ April 2011.
‘Six weeks later, a “Global Aerospace” summit …’ 18 April 2012.
‘“I’m excited he’s here,” said Clinton …’ Bloomberg, 26 April 2012.
‘Before ending his partnership with Branson …’ Seattle Times, 14 December 2011.
‘NASA paid Musk less than $50 million …’ St Louis Dispatch, 26 May 2012.
‘Musk’s $1.6 billion contract from NASA …’ LA Times, 29 October 2012.
‘“In this field,” Branson said …’ Wired, March 2013.
‘The following month, he flew to Mojave …’ 19 November 2012.
‘On one occasion, a motor had burst into flames …’ parabolicarc.com, 23 January 2013.
CHAPTER 16
‘“You’ll find that prices have come down …”’ 16 May 2012.
‘Helped by Virgin’s publicists, the organisers explained …’ Vancouver Sun, 2 May 2011.
‘Unite, he wrote in his book …’ Richard Branson, Screw Business as Usual (Virgin Books), p. 69.
‘“I never saw myself as a business person …”’ interview with Denise Ryan, Vancouver Sun, 26 May 2012.
‘Virgin Records was not created to pay for …’ Tom Bower, Branson (HarperCollins), p. 2.
‘As he admitted in 1986, when his memory …’ ibid., p. 20.
‘“Those that continue with ‘business as usual’ …”’ interview ed with Jack Preston, Daily Telegraph, 23 November 2011; repeated by Geoff Lean, Daily Telegraph, 10 February 2012.
‘“One of the most devastating theories …”’ Richard Branson, Screw Business as Usual (Virgin Books), p. 96.
‘To survive, he squeezed his costs …’ 2 March 2010.
‘He did not explain why travellers …’ Guardian, 25 October 2012.
‘“There will be an energy crisis …”’ New York Times, 22 April 2010.
‘The standard rate for paying guests …’ 12 April 2010.
‘United by their commercial relationship …’ New York Times, 20 September 2011.
‘Speaking to the converted in Manhattan …’ New York Times, 21 November 2010.
‘Financing, Khosla knew, depended on good relations …’ Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 15 January 2012.