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Richard Branson's 5 Favorite Adventures

This article is more than 9 years old.

From kitesurfing across the English Channel to traversing the Atlantic Ocean by hot air balloon, Richard Branson’s taste for adventure is as insatiable as his business drive.

The founder of the Virgin Group, Branson has started myriad companies and branded railways, cruises and airlines to conquer land, sea and air. Now he has turned his gaze to the final frontier: space. His Virgin Galactic, which is 38% owned by Abu Dhabi-based investment firm Aabar, has raised some $390 million to privatize space travel and eventually propel paying citizens out of Earth’s orbit.

“Space has always fascinated me,” Branson, 64, explains. “As a young boy, looking up at the stars, I found it impossible to resist thinking what was out there and if I ever would experience space first-hand.”

Virgin Galactic encountered a serious setback in November 2014, when a pilot died during a failed test flight. Branson says he is proud of how the Virgin Galactic team has come together after what he described as a "deeply saddening accident."

Branson is no stranger to often grave misadventures, in business and travel. He famously capsized and had to be rescued while attempting the fastest Atlantic Ocean crossing in 1985, while his three attempts at circling the globe in a hot air balloon failed.

“Every successful businessman will have experienced set-backs and failures – they’re lying if they say they haven’t,” says Branson, today worth an estimated $4.9 billion. “Virgin has had some tremendously successful businesses and some that have not quite worked out. Virgin Cola springs to mind – the product wasn’t distinct enough from  Coca-Cola .”

Well-versed in bouncing back from missteps, thrillionaire Branson has wise words for wily adventurers.

“The important thing is to take what you have learnt from the experience and apply it to your future ventures going forward,” Branson advises. “Treat failure as a lesson on how not to approach achieving a goal, and then use that learning to improve your chances of success when you try again.  Failure is only the end if you decide to stop.”

As for adventuring, Branson says he will “never” quit. He still kiteboards daily on his British Virgin Isles home Necker Island and does not intend to stop anytime soon.

“Life is the ultimate adventure and I plan to be pushing the boundaries for many more years.”

The current holder of four world records for sea and air endeavors, we asked Richard Branson about his top adventure trips. View the slideshow for more:

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