10 Sexiest Businessmen Over 50: wowOwow's 2008 50-Over-50 List (Photos)

Richard Branson was born July 18, 1950, in Sharnley Green, Surrey, England. The entrepreneur and adventurer began a mail-order business for discount records in 1969. At the time he had little formal education. He then opened a retail store, called Virgin, in London in 1971. Virgin later expanded to include a recording company, more retail outlets, the Voyager Group travel company, Virgin Atlantic airline, Virgin Radio, Virgin Direct and V2 Music. His adventurous spirit extends beyond the boardroom to flying. He broke the record for speed in crossing the Atlantic in 1986, and was the first to cross the Atlantic (1987) then the Pacific (1991) in a hot-air balloon.