Richard Branson-backed Spac targets Grove Collaborative in $1.5bn New York IPO deal SPAC IPO Virgin Group Acquisition Corp, a blank-cheque firm backed by billionaire Richard Branson, has jumped on the eco-friendly product craze and targeted Grove Collaborative in a merger to take the “sustainable consumer goods company” public in a $1.5bn deal. In a transaction that is expected to close in the first or second quarter next year, the [...]
Billionaire Richard Branson sells off another $300m stake in Virgin Galactic space race British billionaire Richard Branson has sold off a further $300m worth of stock in his space venture Virgin Galactic, taking the total offloaded this year to some $600m. The unlocked capital is reportedly set to be pumped into Branson’s travel and leisure businesses, after emergency pandemic restrictions bruised profits. Shares sank more than four per [...]
Richard Branson under fire for appearing with New Orleans high school band Catholic school fans in New Orleans are not very enthusiastic about an appearance by Sir Richard Branson with the St Augustine High School Marching 100 – the band that integrated an exclusive Mardi Gras parade. The billionaire businessman said it was an honour and a once-in-a-lifetime experience to don a drum major’s uniform and march [...]
Not going anywhere: Virgin Galactic flights grounded pending mishap probe September 3, 2021 The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has barred Virgin Galactic from flying its SpaceShipTwo until the agency approves its final mishap investigation report from its July flight. Watch the full report.
Probe: Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic space flight ‘deviated’ September 2, 2021 US regulators have launched a probe into Sir Richard Branson’s flight to the edge of space after the Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo vehicle deviated on return to Earth. The billionaire businessman became the first owner-astronaut to take part in a mission when taking off in July, which he hailed as an “experience of a lifetime”. But [...]
Screenshot: Have Bezos and Branson ushered in a new era of space tourism? July 23, 2021 This week **Media Moment of the Week: Badger, mushroom, snake **Have Bezos and Branson ushered in a space tourism boom? **No more chill for Netflix Media Moment of the Week: Badger, mushroom, snake Want to feel old? The iconic animated badger video (you know the one) is now almost 18 years old. Aside from lamenting [...]
Space-tech: Billionaire Bezos’ flight to space to draw in starry-eyed investors July 21, 2021 Following Amazon boss Jeff Bezos’ 10-minute venture into space yesterday, space-tech investment may be set to rocket, space-fund boss Mark Boggett has said. Just last week Boggett’s space investment firm Seraphim Space listed on the London Stock Exchange after rallying £178.4m from starry-eyed investors in mid-July. “Branson, Musk and Bezos initially cracked open the [...]
Richard Branson set for space flight aboard Virgin Galactic rocket July 11, 2021 Sir Richard Branson is today due to launch into space aboard a Virgin Galactic rocket plane as he kicks off the race to roll out space tourism. The British billionaire will be one of six people aboard the plane, which will climb more than 50 miles above the New Mexico desert to the edge of [...]
Branson and Bezos space race outruns insurers July 9, 2021 Billionaires Sir Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos are reportedly launching into space without insurance for injury or death. Brokers told the NYT’s Dealbook newsletter neither Branson or Bezos, or their respective companies Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin, have purchased liability insurance. This is most likely because there isn’t a fully functioning insurance system for casual [...]
Richard Branson set to beat Jeff Bezos in space race July 2, 2021 Sir Richard Branson is aiming to beat billionaire rival Jeff Bezos into space by just nine days after setting a launch date for his Virgin Galactic rocket ship. The entrepreneur plans to join as a passenger on VSS Unity as early as 11 July, subject to weather and technical checks. The journey to the edge [...]