Week in Business: The billionaires backing Britain May 1, 2025 BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, Virgin supremo Sir Richard Branson, businessman John Caudwell and JP Morgan top dog Jamie Dimon – quite the quartet – have all made some fascinating interventions this week. Let’s start with BlackRock, the world’s largest investor, running more than $11 trillion on behalf of pension funds, private clients and sovereign wealth [...]
Branson-backed bike sharing firm Beryl more than doubles losses April 24, 2025 Losses at Beryl, a bike sharing company backed by two of Sir Richard Branson’s children, have more than doubled despite an uptick in its turnover. In accounts filed almost four months late with Companies House, the business has posted a pre-tax loss of £7.5m for the 12 months to 31 March, 2024. That total compares [...]
Third Eurostar challenger steps up March 24, 2025 A third operator seeking to challenge Eurostar’s monopoly on Channel Tunnel services has been announced. Gemini said on Monday it had submitted an application to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) regulator for access to Eurostar’s Temple Mills depot, which is the only place in the UK to park and maintain high-speed, cross-Channel trains. [...]
Why Virgin Atlantic boss won’t meet British Airways chief alone November 25, 2024 The boss of Virgin Atlantic has revealed the legacy of the dirty tricks scandal in the early 1990s will mean he will never meet his British Airways counterpart alone. Shai Weiss has said that while he has “professional respect” for Sean Doyle, he remains cautious and does “not want to get caught out”. Three decades [...]
Virgin Active: Billionaire owner of Richard Branson-founded gym chain eyes UK listing November 13, 2024 The billionaire majority owner of Virgin Active is looking to list the business in the UK, according to reports. South African Christo Wiese owns the company private equity firm Brait, while Richard Branson’s Virgin Group holds a 16.8 per cent stake. A listing is “most likely” to be in the UK, with a secondary offer [...]
Richard Branson-backed 23andMe axes hundreds of jobs November 12, 2024 Genetic testing company 23andMe, which is backed by Virgin billionaire Richard Branson’s former company VG Acquisition Corp, has revealed plans to make 200 redundancies in a bid to regain stability after a major slowdown in the business over the last year. The company is cutting 40 per cent of its workforce to help its continued [...]
Why Virgin Atlantic’s cooking oil flight ad was banned for being ‘misleading’ on green claims August 7, 2024 A ruling by the UK ad watchdog has raised questions over Virgin Atlantic's "groundbreaking" biofuel-powered flight across the Atlantic last November.
Boardroom Uncovered: How Virgin Group’s CEO went from New Zealand to running Richard Branson’s empire July 30, 2024 Boardroom Uncovered is City A.M.‘s on-camera interview series featuring the CEOs of the biggest and best-known companies operating in the UK.
Stay at Richard Branson’s guest at Son Bunyola, Mallorca July 10, 2024 Richard Branson’s Son Bunyola on theSpanish island of Mallorca is a secludedretreat like no other, and an artist’sparadise, says Jenny Southan
Richard Branson’s Virgin Hotels to open first London hotel in Shoreditch June 13, 2024 Virgin Hotels, the luxury lifestyle hospitality brand owned by Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, has announced its first London hotel will open this August in Shoreditch.