Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson (b. 1950) is a British business magnate and commercial astronaut. In the 1970s, he founded the Virgin Group, through which he has founded more than 400 companies in various fields.
Transcript
Amol Rajan :
In my research for this interview, I’ve spoken to a lot of people who you’ve worked with, including some who were with you at the very beginning of Virgin. And one of the things they all said, I should say, in the spirit of transparency, they were very warm about you, they were all very kind about you. But one of the things a lot of them said was, “The thing about Richard is he’s very easily bored.” They said, you know, “He’s got this tendency to be a bit twitchy. He likes moving around“. And there’s a fascinating line in your book where you say. ” I work best when my mind is able to jump from one topic to the next in quick succession.” So I look this up in the British Dyslexia Association and they say that a lot of people who have dyslexia also have ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).
Richard Branson :
I asked my wife whether I had ADHD and she said, “Only when you’re, only when you’re talking to me (Both laughed). But, Richard, you have a syndrome that hasn’t been invented yet – Branson syndrome.” But yeah, I think it’s quite likely I have ADHD as well.
Amol Rajan :
And does that mean a superpower as well?
Richard Branson :
I love to learn. I love to learn. If I feel I’ve learnt all there is about something, I want to move on and learn about something else. And as a result, I suppose I’ve created, I suspect, if I really went back into it, maybe 500 different companies in my lifetime in, I don’t know, 300 different sectors. But I’ve learnt, you know, it’s just been one long, fascinating education, an education that I never had at school, and I wouldn’t change it. It wouldn’t change it at all. I mean, one of my books is called “Screw it, Let’s Do It.” And, you know, if you take that philosophy and you just screw it and do it, you’re going to learn.. you’re going to learn a lot. You might fall flat on your face, but sometimes it’ll work out.
Amal Rajan Interviews Sir Richard Branson. BBC. First broadcast on the 4th May 2023.
Complete Interview (on iPlayer)
Watch Sir Richard Branson talking about having ADHD. Click here to watch the full interview on iplayer. The ADHD section starts at 37:17.