Certainly very interesting.Naturally the fact that he's made some enemies along the way, is not going to appear in Branson's own accounts as his brand relies on being the peoples champion. But I'm not sure he needs to be vilified for having self serving versions of the truth, for hiding company finances, or even lobbying politicians to serve his own financial interest. All perfectly legal and very well executed. There's few positive words for the the ways he's always been able to find investors while risking little of his own money. The other thing to note is that though there's a lot of sources behind this, presumably mostly are from individuals who have fallen out of favour with Virgin, so will no doubt have a more negatively skewed perspective.No doubt the truth is probably somewhere between this and Branson's own accounts. I'd simply wish the same detail had been presented more impartially, and let the reader make their own decision.We don't need to like the man to admire him...
Branson is one of the world's best publicized brands. But true to the proverb that behind every great fortune lies a pile of sins, Tom Bower has exposed Branson's sins while building his empire. This does NOT detract from Branson's PR/marketing/leadership skills but shows that -He has impoverished his partners-He has succeeded in monopoly businesses( airlines/Radio/Trains) but not in competitive ones-His apparent wins(BA libel case etc) were not really wins when we go deeper.Such investigative journalism(by Tom Bower) should be applauded.
The book explains a lot about Bransons business structure but is often repeated throughout the book. Also the tendency is a bit negative, there is not much that Branson can do right in the opinion of the writer (well, maybe Branson really didn't do anything right but that is hard to believe). It most certainly wasn't the easiest book to read, a bit dry at times but overall gives you a good overview of all the companies he put together. So in general, very informative but not the most pleasant book to read.
—Maarten
It was interesting to read a very different perspective on Branson and how he has built his businesses. However, the authors claim to have written an 'objective biography' should be seriously questioned. I do not claim to be unbiased, I am a fan of much of what has been done by the Virgin group. I understand that in business some deals can seem very ruthless, and Branson, despite his jovial media coverage is known to be very cut throat when he does appear in a boardroom. This book is critical of every aspect of each business or personal decision Branson has ever made, he never acknowledges a good deal, or business acumen. It now makes me want to read a truly objective biography (as clearly the auto-biography 'Losing my Virginity' does not meet this need). However I will settle with using the biography and my own common sense to decide who is telling the truth where.
—Cooper
