Sir Richard Branson, the billionaire entrepreneur behind the Virgin Group empire, introduced on Tuesday that his spouse, Joan Templeman, has died on the age of 80.
“Heartbroken to share that Joan, my wife and partner for 50 years, has passed away,” Branson, 75, wrote in a press release posted to Instagram. “She was the most wonderful mum and grandmum our kids and grandkids could have ever wished for. She was my best friend, my rock, my guiding light, my world. Love you forever, Joan x.”
No reason for loss of life has been disclosed.
The announcement comes shortly after Branson shared {a photograph} of himself kissing his spouse’s head final week with the caption, “Everyone needs a Joan in their life,” and posted one other picture on Monday with the straightforward message, “Love this photo of Joan.” Templeman had celebrated her eightieth birthday in July, which Branson marked with a tribute thanking her for standing by his facet “through the highs, the lows, and all those quiet, content and peaceful moments in between.”
A love story spanning 5 many years
The couple’s relationship started in 1976, when Branson noticed Templeman—then married to musician Ronnie Leahy—working at a bric-a-brac store in London’s Westbourne Grove, not removed from his Virgin Data studio. Branson has written extensively about their early courtship, recalling how he “fell for Joan almost from the moment I saw her.”
“Joan was a down-to-earth Scottish lady and I quickly realised she wouldn’t be impressed by my usual antics,” Branson wrote in a weblog publish on the Virgin web site. To win her consideration, he “persistently hang around the shop and buy countless objects” earlier than they started relationship.
Two years into their relationship, Branson made what would develop into a legendary romantic gesture. In 1978, with Virgin Data nonetheless in its early days, he contacted a realtor about buying an island within the British Virgin Islands—primarily to impress Templeman. The asking worth was $6 million. Branson supplied $100,000, prompting the unamused realtor to depart the couple stranded.
A yr later, with no different patrons and Virgin Data on firmer monetary footing, Branson secured the 74-acre island for $180,000. He named it Necker Island. The couple married there in 1989, and each of their youngsters—Holly and Sam—later wed on the island as effectively. It remained the household’s house.
Behind the scenes of a (Virgin) empire
Whereas Branson cultivated a public persona marked by hot-air balloon crossings and house flights, Templeman remained steadfastly personal. Born in Glasgow in 1945, she grew up in a working-class family and held varied jobs earlier than assembly Branson. Regardless of her husband’s international fame and estimated internet price of roughly $2.8 billion, she averted the highlight all through their 4 many years of marriage.
Branson continuously credited her because the stabilizing power behind his entrepreneurial ventures, which embrace Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Galactic, Virgin Data, and the nonprofit Virgin Unite. “She is a very private person, who has always stood by me mentally, emotionally and spiritually,” Branson wrote in a tribute for her seventieth birthday. “As the saying goes, behind every man there’s a great woman.”
The couple had three youngsters collectively. Their first daughter, Clare Sarah, died simply 4 days after being born three months untimely. Their surviving youngsters, Holly, 43, and Sam, 40, each maintain roles inside the Virgin group—Holly serves as Chief Objective and Imaginative and prescient Officer, whereas Sam acts as a casual adviser. Branson is a grandfather to 5: Etta, Artie, and Lola (Holly’s youngsters), in addition to Eva-Deia and Bluey (Sam’s).
Richard and Joan Branson have been additionally signatories to the Giving Pledge, committing to donate the vast majority of their wealth to philanthropy. Of their joint pledge letter, they emphasised that “stuff really is not what brings happiness. Family, friends, good health and the satisfaction that comes from making a positive difference are what really matters.”
For this story, Fortune used generative AI to assist with an preliminary draft. An editor verified the accuracy of the data earlier than publishing.
