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Richard Branson

March

Isar Aerospace test rocket “Spectrum” lifts off on Andøya island, Norway, on Sunday.

German rocket’s test flight hailed as it crashes and burns

Fraying defence ties with Washington and a backlog at Elon Musk’s SpaceX have added to Europe’s sense of urgency to develop its own satellite launch capacity.

The Google headquarters in Mountain View, California. The tech giant made a point of sharing its desirable work environments.

From Death Star to Raccoon Feet: Have meeting room names gone too far?

Creative titles are now an inescapable – but not always funny – part of work life. The practice that grew from reimagining the office in the 1990s may need a rethink.

February

Jacques Greeff with brother Frank, who is a ex-chef and young rich lister, are on a mission to meet all the founders in Australia making more than $10m a year.  He has been cooking lunches at his Northern Beaches home for founders.

The hottest VC ticket in Sydney is an invite to this founder’s brunch

No plus ones, no alcohol, and no hard sales pitches. There is a 230-person waiting list for Frank and Jacques Greeff’s invite-only founders’ table.

December 2024

David Baxby from Coogee Capital.

Why Branson’s ex right-hand man is investing in workplace health

David Baxby has invested in just about everything from airlines to gyms. Now for the first time, he is putting his money into healthcare.

September 2024

The MSO is not a safe haven for everyone.

The MSO brought this row on itself

Young self-absorbed artists and old complacent arts organisations like the MSO don’t understand that great art is powerful because it transcends politics.

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April 2024

Junior Suite at Zel, Mallorca.

From Branson to Nadal – big names are investing millions in Mallorca

Forget the parties and tacky tourism around Magaluf. Celebrities and luxury hotel chains are putting up brass plates across one of Spain’s favourite Balearic Islands.

February 2024

Strength training can help people worries about broken bones.

The physio’s guide to injury recovery

Our ageing population is more active, which is good, but they are more likely to hurt themselves. There are some simple ways to avoid and recover from injury.

December 2023

Jayne Hrdlicka CEO Virgin Australia.

Virgin cabin crew win up to 18pc in pay deal

The agreement comes as airlines face the threat of more competition and a slowing economy.

Santos-Woodside’s skinny premium; Aussies’ COP mess; RBA’s tweak

Read everything that’s happened in the news so far today.

Sir Richard Branson

A lesson in branding from Sir Richard Branson

Our intrepid reporter was given 15 minutes to get an exclusive from the irrepressible 73-year-old.

November 2023

Virgin Atlantic founder Sir Richard Branson celebrates the arrival of Flight 100.

Virgin jet fuelled on cooking oil crosses Atlantic

Airlines are banking on fuel made from waste to reduce their emissions by up to 70 per cent, but costs are high and large-scale production difficult.

July 2023

Ozempic is designed to improve blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes. Its active ingredient works by inducing the feeling of being satisfied.

The weight loss cycle: out with Jenny Craig, in with Ozempic

Depending who you ask, Ozempic is “phenomenal” for patients or a “dangerous” way of losing weight. Either way, its arrival heralds a new model of medicine.

For chef Liam Nichols, a job on Richard Branson’s Necker Island was short-lived.

How the super-rich are turning professionals into servants

An increasing number of experts, such as financial advisers, have become exclusive to the uber-wealthy, who pay to wall them away from the rest of the world.

June 2023

John Singleton

Singleton’s surprising return to radio started in his Gosford pub

The maverick Central Coast former adman, who professes an undying love of radio, has become the patron of his local community station.

OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush in 2013.

How Stockton Rush’s vision ended in tragedy for Titan submersible

The 61-year-old was one of five people on board OceanGate’s Titan submersible when it lost contact with its mother ship.

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OceanGate’s Titan submersible in 2021.

How missing sub was built from ‘camping shop stock’

The missing submersible was no roomier than a minivan, and was piloted by a video game controller, according to a journalist who made the voyage last year.

Billionaire Hamish Harding is on board the missing Titan submersible.

Billionaire trapped on sub has a daredevil past

From the depths of the Mariana Trench to the rigours of space, British adventurer Hamish Harding is no stranger to traversing boundaries.

May 2023

Forbes Australia founder Michael Lane with businesswoman and model Miranda Kerr at the Forbes Women’s Summit.

Forbes Australia cancels wealth summit seven months after launch

The new business publication put a “pause” on the big-name summit, saying the timing wasn’t right to hold the event.

April 2023

Orbit

Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit files for bankruptcy

The rocket company spun off from the billionaire’s spaceflight company has already sacked most of its staff after failing to raise money from investors.

Virgin boss Richard Branson.

Virgin Orbit to slash 85pc of its workforce

The move comes after a failed mission to launch the first satellites into orbit from Europe.

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/person/richard-branson-512