The lyric I wish I’d written
“You don’t do what you fuckin want then you’ll fade away You won’t find me workin’ nine to five / It’s too much fun being alive,” by the Sex Pistols. Listening to the Sex Pistols still stirs up the rebellious feeling deep inside me and takes me back to that blazing hot summer of ’77 when I rolled up my sleeves (metaphorically speaking—I’ve always been a massive fan of the casual short-sleeve T-shirt) literally slogged my guts out to get the Pistols to sell their totally brill records in their millions, thus helping me expand what some people have been kind enough to call the Virgin empire, and make the world a better place.
My luxury
My custom-made beanbag, signed with a special Virgin felt-tip by, among others, Barack Obama, Justin Trudeau and Ed Sheeran, who’s a personal friend.
My favorite TV series
Bad Sisters is riveting. I loved it so much that I sent Bono a little note, handwritten, to say how great his daughter Eve was in it. Bono and I go back a long way. We share a passion for bringing peace and justice to our planet, to promote inclusion and diversity and to turn dreams into reality. I’m delighted to say that Bono and The Edge regularly fly in my private jet to the all-green energy-efficient carbon-neutral sun-soaked island paradise that is Necker, available for exclusive bookings for up to 48 guests, meals, accommodation and activities extra.
The box set that I’m hooked on
20 Days in Mariupol is a harrowing look at the Russian invasion. Ukrainians are fighting and dying for the entire free world and I feel humbled by their bravery and sacrifice. To be honest, I don’t know what’s happened to Vladimir. In those far-off days when we used to hang out together, arm-wrestling and listening to a bit of Pete Tong and swapping ideas late into the night about how we were going to make this world a better place, he seemed a thoroughly delightful bloke. After 20 Days in Mariupol, I plan to watch the next series of Emily in Paris, which stars Lily Collins, whose dad is the great Phil Collins, who was an early Virgin artist. I’m planning to send him a personal handwritten note of congratulations.
The instrument I play
I’m humbled to say that I don’t have a musical bone in my body, though I’ve always been really, really laidback, having masterminded VirginShades, Virgin Cola and VirginTan. Incidentally, Virgin Laidback now offers 10 week all-inclusive relaxation courses. And I love to play the tom-toms at Virgin board meetings, just to get me and my fellow execs in what I call “that Necker state-of-mind”. And, you know what? I’ve been known to get up and dance to reggae or hip-hop on our circular boardroom table when there’s been a new acquisition to celebrate!
My favorite philosophers
Kahlil Gibran. Paulo Coelho. Neil Diamond.
If I could own one painting it would be
It would have to be the Mona Lisa. She reminds me of myself when I was her age: quiet and thoughtful, yes, but also overflowing with youthful energy and idealism, and full of the zeal to create a truly global brand. Whenever I look at her in her seated position, as though ready for takeoff, I know for sure that she shares my Virgin Galactic dream of “turning the impossible into the inevitable” and allowing ordinary men and women to experience the miracle that is outer space.
My favorite pastime
Hanging out with Mark Zuckerberg, just shooting the breeze and playing Pickleball, to which I’ve just bought international rights.
My favorite film
The Sound of Music. Whenever I see Julie Andrews spinning around with such positivity on that lush green mountainside, I bring out the old tom-toms and imagine I’m up there with her, ready to do battle with the Nazis and all their negative energy. Another film I love is Spartacus, which shows an heroic individual battling against the system. A lot of people have pointed out that it has uncanny echoes of my fight to get Virgin Atlantic off the ground, in the face of almost insuperable opposition from the Establishment. And there’s another striking similarity, too. At no point in the entire film does Spartacus wear a shirt and tie—being a firm believer in casual leisurewear, I’m certainly with him on that one!
I’m having a fantasy dinner party—I’ll invite these artists and authors
Definitely Nelson Mandela. Whenever I met him, he was such a good listener. I’ll never forget telling him about all our amazing plans for Virgin Cola, which I was determined to make available to everyone on this planet of ours, regardless of race, color, gender or creed. Mahatma Gandhi is another guy who would contribute huge wisdom with his global profile. I’m a huge admirer of Winston Churchill, and I think that after hanging out with the guy on a beanbag for an hour or two he’d definitely end up persuaded that the legalization of cannabis, for which I’ve long campaigned, is the only way forward.
And to inject some real inspiration into the proceedings, I’d invite The Spice Girls. I find the way they have bravely argued the cause of feminism for so long by sticking to their guns and wearing skimpy figure-hugging clothes truly humbling. And maybe Pamela Anderson from Baywatch. She’s always been in the vanguard of humanitarian issues, and with her passionate commitment to practicing lifeguard skills in her swimsuit, she’d be a great addition to any social gathering on Necker.
My favorite book
Middlemarch by T.S. Eliot.
Craig Brown has written the Private Eye satirical diary for more than 30 years and is the author of 150 Glimpses of the Beatles