Richard Branson

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11 minutes ago, West 77 said:

He wanted the government to give his airline a loan in order to help it continue running which is more likely to benefit normal hard working people than millionaires. The Branson space project is not the same as Virgin Airlines. Do you have a problem with successful British business people?

Branson moved his main residence to the Caribbean about 15 years ago to avoid having to pay UK tax and is so not meaningfully a 'British businessman' any more. The UK government appear to share that viewpoint since they denied his request for a loan for his airline.

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23 minutes ago, West 77 said:

The Virgin Airlines headquarters is based near Gatwick airport meaning the company pay their tax in the UK.  

That's irrelevant to where Branson personally pays tax.

[Guest makapaka]

1 hour ago, West 77 said:

He wanted the government to give his airline a loan in order to help it continue running which is more likely to benefit normal hard working people than millionaires. The Branson space project is not the same as Virgin Airlines. Do you have a problem with successful British business people?

Not all of them -some of them - I don’t know all of them.

 

Do you?

Edited July 12, 2021 by makapaka

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11 minutes ago, West 77 said:

Of cause it's not irrelevant because Branson  didn't ask for a personal government loan but asked for a government loan for Virgin Airlines who are based in the UK and pay their tax to the UK government. 

And Branson owns a sizeable chunk of it so would directly benefit personally from such a loan.

[Guest makapaka]

1 hour ago, West 77 said:

He wanted the government to give his airline a loan in order to help it continue running which is more likely to benefit normal hard working people than millionaires.

Oh aye - Richard Branson - the raggy trousered philanthropist.

[El Cid]

44 minutes ago, altus said:

And Branson owns a sizeable chunk of it so would directly benefit personally from such a loan.

Branson founded Virgin Atlantic in 1984 and has a 51% stake alongside US airline Delta with 49%. Virgin Atlantic lost over $100 million in 2017 and 2018, the two most recent years for which its accounts are available.

Its good if we can keep it solvent, for the benefit of the UK

[Guest makapaka]

3 hours ago, El Cid said:

Branson founded Virgin Atlantic in 1984 and has a 51% stake alongside US airline Delta with 49%. Virgin Atlantic lost over $100 million in 2017 and 2018, the two most recent years for which its accounts are available.

Its good if we can keep it solvent, for the benefit of the UK

You never know - Branson could use some of his £3.8bn wealth, or some of the money he’s used to for space safaris to keep it afloat.

 

I won’t hold my breath.

[El Cid]

3 minutes ago, makapaka said:

You never know - Branson could use some of his £3.8bn wealth, or some of the money he’s used to for space safaris to keep it afloat.

 

I won’t hold my breath.

I read £4.2 billion, maybe your figures are from the previous year?

He was asking the government for a commercial loan, believed to be £500m. No hand outs.

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Somebody's not taking losing the billionaire willy waving competition well.

[Bargepole23]

20 minutes ago, West 77 said:

It's pretty impressive another billionaire has successfully completed a mission into space for purpose of space tourism.  However history proves someone coming second is soon forgotten. Most people know that Sir Roger Bannister was the first athlete to run a mile under 4 minutes but hardly anyone knows who the second athlete was to run a mile under 4 minutes was.  Another good day for Great Britain that a foreigner has finished second. 

 

Rule Britannia!

I'm sure those North Americans are now looking enviously at our space program.

 

Rule Britannia?