Virgin Group facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Virgin Group Limited

Type	Private
Industry	Conglomerate
Founded	February 1970; 55 years ago (1970-02)
Founders	Richard Branson Nik Powell
Headquarters	London , United Kingdom
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Peter Norris (chairman) Josh Bayliss (CEO)
Products	List Banking Broadcasting Books Commercial aviation Commercial spaceflight Consumer electronics Films Health care Health insurance Internet Insurance Jewellery Mobile phones Music Radio Rail Transport Retail Television Travel
Revenue	£16.6 billion (2019)
Owner	Richard Branson
Number of employees	~71,000

Virgin Group Limited is a big British company that owns many different businesses around the world. It was started by Richard Branson and Nik Powell in February 1970.

Even though the official company paperwork says 1989, Virgin's businesses actually began way back in the 1970s. By early 2023, the whole Virgin Group was worth about £3 billion!

The Story of Virgin Group

How the Name "Virgin" Began

The name "Virgin" came about in 1970. Richard Branson and Nik Powell started a record shop, first by mail order and then with a physical store in 1971. They thought of themselves as "virgins" in the business world, meaning they were completely new to it. Branson has said that the "V" in the Virgin logo looks like a checkmark, showing that Virgin approves of something.

The Virgin Logos

The very first Virgin logo from 1973 was designed by a British artist named Roger Dean (artist). It was made for the record company that Richard Branson and Nik Powell founded. The more famous signature logo, which you see today, was introduced in 1978. Richard Branson says it was drawn quickly on a napkin by a designer named Ray Kyte after a meeting.

Where Virgin Group Works

Virgin Group Headquarters

Virgin Group's main office is in Whitfield Studios in Soho, a part of London. They moved there in November 2024. This building is famous for its music history, as many legendary musicians like the Rolling Stones and Amy Winehouse used to create music there.

Other Virgin companies also have their main offices at Whitfield Studios. These include Virgin Red, Virgin Unite, Virgin StartUp, Virgin Limited Edition, and Big Change. Before this, Virgin Group had offices in other parts of London, like London Borough of Tower Hamlets, Paddington, and London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.

How Virgin Group is Organized

The Virgin Group is made up of many different companies. It's like a big family of businesses. Sometimes, Virgin owns a part of a company, and other times, it just lets another company use the "Virgin" brand name. For example, Virgin Records is owned by Universal Music Group, and Virgin Media is owned by Liberty Global, but they still use the Virgin name.

In May 2013, Virgin Group looked into new chances in Australia's healthcare industry. They wanted to build on their fitness centers there. In the United Kingdom, Virgin Group also runs over 100 National Health Service (NHS) services. They got into the British healthcare business in 2011.

On December 4, 2014, Virgin Group announced they were starting a cruise line called Virgin Voyages. It got money from Bain Capital. The cruise line would have two new large ships and be based in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area.

Virgin StartUp: Helping New Businesses

Virgin StartUp is a special non-profit company within the Virgin Group. It helps people across the UK start, get money for, and grow their businesses. In 2013, Richard Branson launched this new organization. He wanted to help young people who had the same dreams he did when he was young. He said his own adventure started with £300 from his mum.

Virgin StartUp works with the UK Government's Start Up Loans Company. They provide loans from £500 to £25,000, along with advice and mentoring. By 2018, Virgin StartUp had helped over 11,000 entrepreneurs in the UK. They had also provided over £35 million in early funding.

Foodpreneur Competition

In 2014, Branson and Virgin StartUp started a competition called "Foodpreneur" for food and drink businesses. Winners received advice from Branson, legal help, and brand guidance. Some winners from 2014 included Proper Beans and Sweet Virtues.

In 2015, winners got the chance to present their ideas to buyers from Target Corporation in the US. Winners that year included Pip & Nut and Cauli Rice. In 2017, only one winner was chosen, The Snaffling Pig Co.. They won a six-week space at intu Lakeside, a very busy shopping center in the UK.

Who Leads Virgin Group

Current Leaders

• Chairman: Peter Norris (since 2009)
• Chief Executive: Josh Bayliss (since 2014)

Past Leaders

• Sir Richard Branson was Chairman from 1970 to 2009.
• Sir Richard Branson was also Chief Executive from 1970 to 2005.
• Other past Chief Executives include Stephen Murphy (2005–2011) and David Baxby (2011–2014).

Virgin Group's Businesses and Investments

An Airbus A330 airplane from Virgin Atlantic Airways.

Virgin Group has many different businesses and investments. Here are some of them:

Businesses Virgin Used to Own

Virgin Group has also owned many other businesses in the past, including:

• Absolute Radio: This used to be Virgin Radio UK.
• Air Nigeria: This was a Nigerian airline.
• Connect Airways (Flybe): Virgin Atlantic had a share in this airline.
• Virgin Airship and Balloon Company: This company operated hot air balloons.
• Liquid Comics: A comic book producer.
• Vie at Home: A cosmetics retailer.
• Virgin America: An airline in North America.
• Virgin Brides: A shop specializing in wedding dresses.
• Virgin Care: A healthcare company.
• Virgin Cars: An online car seller.
• Virgin Charter: An online place to book private aircraft.
• Virgin Cinemas: Movie theaters.
• Virgin Digital Help: Technical support.
• Virgin Drinks: A company that made drinks like Virgin Cola and Virgin Vodka.
• Virgin Electronics: An electronics store.
• Virgin Energy: An energy provider.
• Virgin Express: An airline based in Brussels.
• V Festival: A British music festival.
• V Festival (Australia): An Australian version of the V Festival.
• Virgin Festival: A North American version of the V Festival.
• Virgin Films: A film production company.
• Virgin Games: An online gaming company.
• Virgin Green Fund: A fund for green businesses.
• Virgin Health Bank: A health service.
• Virgin Hyperloop: A company working on high-speed rail travel.
• Virgin Interactive: A game developer and publisher.
• Virgin Limobike: A motorcycle transfer service.
• Virgin Limousines: A limousine service.
• Virgin Media (including Virgin Mobile UK): A UK company for TV, internet, and phone services.
• Virgin Mobile Australia: A mobile phone service in Australia.
• Virgin Mobile France: A mobile phone service in France.
• Virgin Mobile India: A mobile phone service in India.
• Virgin Mobile USA: A mobile phone service in the USA.
• Virgin Money Australia: A banking service in Australia.
• Virgin Money US: A banking service in the US.
• Virgin Music: A music company.
• Virgin One account: A banking product.
• Virgin Orbit: An aerospace company.
• Virgin Play: A Spanish game distributor.
• Virgin Plus: A mobile phone service in Canada.
• Virgin Pure: A consumer goods company.
• Virgin Sports: An active lifestyle company.
• Virgin Sun Airlines: An airline.
• Virgin Snow: A ski vacation company.
• Virgin Trains ExpressCoach: A bus and coach service.
• Virgin CrossCountry: A train operator in the UK.
• Virgin EMI Records: A music label.
• Virgin Records: An American music label.
• Virgin Racing: A Formula One racing team.
• Virgin Racing Formula E Team: A Formula E racing team.
• Virginware: A clothing retailer.
• Virgin Wines: An online wine seller.
• Virgin Trains West Coast: A train operating company.
• Virgin Trains East Coast: A train operating company.
• Virgin Trains USA: A train operating company in Florida.
• Virgin Video (aka Virgin Vision): A home video distributor.
• Virgin Vacations: A USA-based tour operator.

See also

In Spanish: Virgin Group para niños