The Ledger
Every statement that passed quotation and attribution checks. Mix any filter with any other: certainty 1/5, debate potential 5/5, or both at once.
why aren't all 11 resolved? a statement only gets an assessment when the public record can support or contradict it. opinions and what-ifs never can, and 0 checkable ones are still open, waiting for their date. predictions held up or didn't; assertions are supported or contradicted. on every card: ▮▮▮▮▮ certainty · ▮▮▮▮▮ debate potential. speakers are clickable
Branson: If you can run one business, you can run any business
“If you can run one business, you can run any business.”
Branson: Virgin Is Looking at Challenging Eurostar Through Channel Tunnel
“So, you know, for instance, we're just looking at maybe taking on Eurostar through the channel tunnel.”
Branson physically threw out a bank manager threatening to close Virgin
“I find the bank manager sitting on my doorstep, and stupidly I invited him into the house, and he tells me that he's gonna close the whole Virgin Group down on the Monday, and I don't normally get angry, but I just literally stood up and pushed him out of my h…”
Yassin: Nas Company has a 30-year conglomerate vision inspired by Virgin
“My ambition is to build similar to Virgin, but I'm gonna build products that bring people together in technology, media, travel, So the way I envision the next 10 years is NAS Daily, NAS Hotel, NAS I.O., NAS Summits, you know, NAS Foods, NAS Venture, NAS whate…”
Yassin is building Nas Company as a Virgin-style conglomerate over 30 years
“My ambition is to build similar to Virgin, but I'm gonna build products that bring people together in technology, media, Travel. So the way I envision the next 10 years is NAS Daily, NAS Hotel, NAS I.O., NAS Summits, you know, NAS Foods, NAS Venture, NAS whate…”
Virgin started as the first mail-order business to discount music records
“Nobody had ever sold music at a cheaper price than the normal retail price and it was the start of Virgin.”
Branson: Hide in the restroom after meetings to note personal details
“So, I mean, if you're going to a big chain of retail shops and you have a chat with the, you know, with the head of the retail is worth Going to the loo afterwards and just taking a note of some of the things the person said, because it's so good to be able to…”
Virgin Group operates roughly two hundred companies worldwide
“There's a couple of hundred companies around the world.”
Branson avoided a 35% tax by faking record exports until caught
“If you export records, you don't have to pay the 35% tax. So, nautily, we sold them in England, and anyway, I got caught and a number of other record shops are doing the same thing. We got a rap on our back of our hand, and it has taught me in life that sleepi…”
Branson admits holding onto Virgin Megastores too long cost substantial money
“You know, so cutting your losses reasonably early on is a good idea. I haven't always been good at that. I mean, for instance, Virgin Megastores, we clung on far too long and cost us a lot of money.”
Strava was modeled on Patagonia and Virgin rather than tech peers
“We made a list of if we had been founders of XYZ company, what would it have been? And it was telling because It wasn't a bunch of Silicon Valley companies. I don't think there was, I mean, maybe, maybe we put Apple on there. I can't remember, but otherwise it…”