# What's the deal with Sir Richard Branson's companies?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-sir-richard-bransons-companies/337448>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 28, 2005, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-sir-richard-bransons-companies/337448 "2005-12-28T16:33:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![drbuzz0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@drbuzz0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drbuzz0)\
**Post date:** [December 28, 2005, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-sir-richard-bransons-companies/337448/1 "2005-12-28T16:33:00Z")

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Sir Richard Branson is a very endevoring guy. He’s managed to found a numberof successful companies. Eerything from a record label to a major airline to a softdrink company (okay that one wasn’t _as_ successful) to a private spaceport.

But um…what is with that name?

Is he obsessed with chastity or something? Did he find out his wife had been with another guy before him and go insane? Is he just really afraid of STD’s?  
-Steve

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**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\
**Post date:** [December 28, 2005, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-sir-richard-bransons-companies/337448/2 "2005-12-28T16:38:27Z")

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The name originated as a joke about his lack of business experience when he first started out. Since then, he’s turned it into an instantly-recognisable brand. It’s a bit like asking whether McDonalds are obsessed with Scottish ancestory.

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**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\
**Post date:** [December 28, 2005, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-sir-richard-bransons-companies/337448/3 "2005-12-28T16:39:05Z")

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[Quoth Wiki:](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_company_name_etymologies#V)

> [@](#):
>
> Founder Richard Branson’s first company sold records by mail order. He and his friends chose the name ‘Virgin Records’ as they were all virgins when it came to business.

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**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\
**Post date:** [December 28, 2005, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-sir-richard-bransons-companies/337448/4 "2005-12-28T16:40:38Z")

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> [@GorillaMan](#):
>
> The name originated as a joke about his lack of business experience when he first started out. Since then, he’s turned it into an instantly-recognisable brand. It’s a bit like asking whether McDonalds are obsessed with Scottish ancestory.

Mcdonalds is only a single chain in a single industry, but otherwise the point is well taken. 🙂