Richard Branson - Really?

UHBlackhawk said:
It’s his money. He earned it by busting his rear end and going from selling Christmas trees, starting a magazine, opening his own record store, to owning a label and becoming an airline mogul. Not bad for a dyslexic kid who never attended college. I’d much rather have someone like him directing his money than a bureaucratic know it all in some far away “capital city”.
This was not meant to be a one time thing. I think his intent is to bring space travel initially to wealthy people, but eventually get it to the point where it is commercially viable for the common person. It’s not to say the X-15 wasn’t awesome and ahead of it’s time. Or that this isn’t getting people as high as the Mercury program. But just as such programs led to technology that people didn’t imagine, I’m sure scaling space flight to the point where it is affordable for more than just a few people. Heck, air travel was initially only for the very wealthy. The common person never traveled by air. Up until deregulation air travel was still for the wealthy and the businessman. People saved all their lives for a vacation by air. Now it’s very common. It’s now unusual to find someone who hasn’t traveled by air.
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And now that everyone can fly the experience is only slightly better than being in steerage class of a trans-Atlantic steamer circa 1910.

But the United Kingdom should be damn proud of producing an up-from-his bootstraps billionaire light Mr. Branson. As the US should be with our Mr. Gates and Mr. Bezos et al.

Hell, Britain could do well with more Mr. Bransons than the non-working welfare billionaires residing at Windsor, Buckingham, etc.

Prince Harry, since coming to the US, has at least had to work for his money for a change. His family members have no idea what that means. No coincidence that he is a combat veteran, in my opinion.
 
Day-Tripper said:
And now that everyone can fly the experience is only slightly better than being in steerage class of a trans-Atlantic steamer circa 1910.

But the United Kingdom should be damn proud of producing an up-from-his bootstraps billionaire light Mr. Branson. As the US should be with our Mr. Gates and Mr. Bezos et al.

Hell, Britain could do well with more Mr. Bransons than the non-working welfare billionaires residing at Windsor, Buckingham, etc.

Prince Harry, since coming to the US, has at least had to work for his money for a change. His family members have no idea what that means. No coincidence that he is a combat veteran, in my opinion.
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"...the non-working welfare billionaires residing at Windsor, Buckingham, etc."

Uh...you do realize that the Royal family has vast personal wealth in the form of land holdings, real estate holdings, businesses, etc? Their "wealth" isn't a handout.

And yes, The Queen, The Prince of Wales, and other royals actually pay the UK income tax, voluntarily, as they're not required to by law. And a host of other things.

I don't really think "welfare billionaires" comes close to accurate.
 
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