Virgin Group founder Richard Branson stays very active throughout the day, whether it's hitting the tennis court or going kitesurfing. Noor Photography/Getty Images
Richard Branson is the 73-year-old founder of the Virgin Group conglomerate.
His daily routine is filled with sports, from tennis to cycling to kitesurfing.
All of this happens on a private island in the British Virgin Islands, where he lives.
Richard Branson is 73 years old, but despite his age, his daily life is surprisingly active.
He starts and ends his days playing tennis, and in between, he kitesurfs and bikes.
Branson is the billionaire founder of Virgin Group, a conglomerate with companies in sectors such as travel, telecommunications, entertainment and space. Its largest companies include airline Virgin Atlantic, wireless service provider Virgin Mobile, hospitality chain Virgin Hotels and spaceflight company Virgin Galactic.
Here's a closer look at Branson's daily life.
Branson wakes up around 5 or 6 a.m.
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“Getting up early to work gives you time to get things done and allows you to plan your day effectively,” he wrote in a 2014 blog post.
“The reason I like to get up early is because most people in the world read their email before they log on,” he wrote in a 2017 blog post. “Living in the BVI [British Virgin Islands]We prefer to be online early so that we can access and accommodate offices in other time zones. ”
Recently, he has taken up the habit of taking an ice bath every morning, Virgin Group told Business Insider.
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Ice baths have become popular in recent years with celebrities and Silicon Valley tech executives, including Twitter co-founder and Block CEO Jack Dorsey.
He also goes to the tennis court early in the day.
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Brunson said in an interview with Australia's News.com.au in December that he was going to “play a tough match of singles tennis” around 6:15 a.m.
Then, weather permitting, we move on to our next sport: kitesurfing.
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Branson famously went kitesurfing naked and on his back with model Denny Parkinson in 2009, but Branson later said it was the idea of a photographer who was dating Parkinson.
Branson also gained attention for kitesurfing with former President Barack Obama in 2017.
He plans to stop by for breakfast next, which will probably include at least a cup of tea.
Richard Branson. Reuters/Olivia Harris
“To stay energized, I drink a lot of tea. We're talking 20 cups a day. Don't tell the doctor!” he wrote in a 2017 blog post.
His go-to is a decaffeinated English breakfast, and “I've been feeling great since cutting out caffeine,” Virgin told BI.
He typically eats “fiber-rich foods like muesli and fruit to fuel my day's adventures,” he wrote in another blog post.
After breakfast, he takes a walk around the 74-acre private island where he lives.
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Branson bought Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands for just $180,000 in the late 1970s.
During your walk, your assistant will read your email aloud. She also sits down with her assistant at other times of the day to “reply to something that comes in,” she said in a 2017 blog post.
In between emails and phone calls, they check the news and may encourage you to blog about various issues.
More workouts await Branson when he hits the gym.
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He spends about 20 minutes working out.
He has lunch and then spends time “interacting with guests” before getting to work.
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He often plans meetings over lunch.
In a 2017 blog post, he said, “I don't like formal meetings, so I like to have a relaxed atmosphere while eating together. If I don't have time, I prefer walking meetings.” writing.
At night, Branson might cycle around the neighboring island before heading back to the tennis courts.
A man on a bicycle (not Richard Branson). Pix Deluxe/Getty Images
He told News.com.au he likes to ride his “extreme” bike twice a week and also enjoys playing chess from time to time.
Branson posted on Instagram that one of his recent bike rides was a little too extreme and he “hit a pothole and crashed hard.”
Branson likes to end the day with a group dinner.
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He sees dinner as a place where “stories are shared and ideas are born,” he wrote in a 2017 blog post. Branson carries a notebook with him wherever he goes, jotting down ideas that come to him.
His favorite foods include, you guessed it, traditional British cuisine. According to a 2015 post on Virgin Group's website, he is a fan of egg sandwiches, stews, shepherd's pie and English roasts.
He usually leaves for work at night around 11 p.m.
Sir Richard Branson stands on the wing of a Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747 at Heathrow Airport. Steve Parsons – PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images
“You need about six hours of sleep. The next day you have to do it all again a little differently,” he wrote in a 2017 blog post.
