Bunim-Murray.com The Rebel's Production Company states:
Branson is the only person in the world to have created five individual billion-dollar global enterprises from scratch in five different sectors – transportation (planes, trains and automobiles), leisure, telecommunications, venture capital and entertainment -- all accomplished without any outside financial backing.
Branson formed Virgin Atlantic Airways in 1984 and in the last two decades has grown the airline into Britain's second-largest carrier.
To promote the Virgin Atlantic name, Branson became involved in a number of high-profile, record-breaking attempts throughout the 1980s and '90s. In 1986, his boat Virgin Atlantic Challenger II crossed the Atlantic Ocean in the fastest time ever recorded, winning the Blue Riband trophy back for Great Britain. A year later he flew the Virgin Atlantic Flyer balloon -- the largest ever built -- across the Atlantic.
In 1991 Branson's balloon crossed the Pacific from Japan to Canada, breaking all existing records, and he followed that with a number of attempts to circumnavigate the globe. Currently, Branson and Steve Fossett are partnering to attempt another great aviation first: a solo, non-stop flight around the world in less than 80 hours.
In The Rebel Billionaire, Branson uses similar wild and crazy, death-defying adventures as a means of getting to know his prospective proteges.
The process: To find one out of sixteen 50,000 contests who match, if not exceed, the guts, smarts, tenacity and entrepreneurial hutzpah of Britain's best known business bad-boy.
Aboard a Virgin Airlines plane, he reveals where they are going next and what the challenge will be. His intention is to see each contestant in action as a way of revealing how they deal with life challenges and personal dilemmas.
Participants are required to apply their business savvy in both physical and mental challenges to prove their worth to Branson.
Each week one of the participants is left on the tarmac, while the others jet off to the next exotic locale.
Last week, we watched with disbelief as the contestants themselves, not professional stunt men and women, take crazy physical risks. With each challenge we watched them learn the significance of:
- Challenging yourself physically and "entrepreneur-ly" in order to realize what you are capable of.
- Having a tea party of the top of a hot air balloon at 10,000 feet in the air just because that's what the Brits do, at least this crazy, adventuresome Brit.
- Making quick decisions.
- Relying on first impressions.
- Not hesitating and definitely not looking down.
- Getting all the little details right if you are a small company competing with a big company.
- the importance of getting business done first before pleasure.
Last night's local: Africa.
Branson's Quest for The Best - Episode III Play-by-Play
At three times the height of Niagara Falls are Zimbabwe's Victoria Falls, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.
From the edge of a cliff, where the contestants stand, it is 360 feet straight down to the Zambezi River.
"Entrepreneurship involves taking that big leap into the unknown," Branson said. "Today, working in teams, we're going to see which of you can take that leap and which of you aren't ready."
Two leaders are selected for two teams. Gabriel is selected to lead the team of women while Niki is selected to lead the team of men.
The challenge: To have one team mate jump into the arms of another team mate who is hanging above the river seven feet from the cliff.
The risk: If they fail to be caught by their teammate they plunge 300 hundred feet straight down into the gorge and do not earn a point for their team.
The fall is unlike bungee-jumping which is typically smoother and more controlled.
Those who do not succeed are sent tumbling every which way toward the water.
Dangling and swaying near the bottom of the gorge, they hang from their harnesses by one rope until they are pulled back to the top of the cliff.
Jermaine is selected as the catcher for the men's team. At 220 pounds, Gabriel choses himself as the catcher. "I'm very capable of "catching the women" all day long, he says.
In the first jump, Nicole does not make it for the men's team and Heather does not make it for the women's team. They both plunge into the 300 foot gorge.
The second jump for the men is a success. Jermaine, the catcher, is told, "you never looked so beautiful."
Sarah, who is terrified of heights, psyches herself up before her jump. When she says, "I'm coming," you know she is going to do it. Whether or not Gabriel will catch her is another question.
With the camera on Gabriel's helmet, you see the look of determination and might on Sarah's face as she takes the plunge. Fortunately, Gabriel catches her and holds onto her.
The next round is even more challenging after Branson has the distance extended to eight feet from the edge of the cliff.
One success follows another success follows one failure follows another failure which requires an ambulance to come to Candida's rescue. She is banged up and bruised, but o.k.
In the third round, the distance to jump is extended to 8' 7".
The teams are now even.
Steve, the most gregarious of the bunch, hoops and hollers before making his jump. After succeeding, he throws a kiss to his fellow teammates and says, "It's for you guys. Team work."
Erica is the last to go for Jermaine and the women. She jumps and holds on to Jermaine, but there is a moment of question whether or not she'll be able to remain holding on. Finally, she does.
The ball game is now tied: 3-3.
For the tie-breaker, the two teams are asked to choose a distance to jump. Whomever chooses the short distance goes first. If the first team doesn't complete the jump, they lose. If both teams complete the jump, then the team jumping the longer distance wins.
The men with Niki as their leader choose 7' 7 1/2".
The women and Gabriel choose 7' 8".
Steve is selected to jump into Jermaine's arms. He nails it.
Before Erica jumps Branson says, "If Erica makes it, the girls win. If she plunges, the guys win."
"Good explosion," Gabriel says before Erica leaps into his arms.
The final tally: Because of a 1/2 inch decision, the women win!
Heather says, "When Erica makes the jump, it feels incredible because we spanked the boys in a physical challenge." Erica says afterwards, "It feels amazing for me and the girls, especially after such a horrible loss in Hong Kong. The girls came together, and I think winning was one of the most satisfying parts of this adventure, so far."
At this point in the game, Branson announces that he is going to make good on his commitment to do everything that the contestants are asked to do.
Gabriel volunteers to be Branson's catcher.
Branson communicates that he has never had a fear of skydiving but he has an irrational fear of bungee-jumping.
Gabriel prepares himself one, two, three, four, five, six, seven times before Branson finally takes the leap.
The music changes from a "Raiders of the Lost Ark-esque" tone to an umpa, umpa tone. Branson says, "My legs have gone jelly." He turns to the contestants and says, "You were pretty brave" to which they laugh hysterically.
Finally, Branson calls out the final, "1, 2, 3" and jumps.
Branson's jump is somewhat short and Gabriel is not able to hold onto Branson and The Rebel Billionaire plunges to the depths of the gorge. Jermaine, the catcher for the other team, says empathetically, "I feel badly for Gabe; he just let a billion dollars slip through his arms."
As he makes his way back to the top of the cliff, Branson says "It was one of the most beautiful dives and swings I could ever imagine, and I look forward to doing it again."
As Branson is pulled out of the gorge hanging from a rope and bleeding from his left eye, he says to the group, "I've got to bow to you. You were superb. Now I know what you had to go through."
One of the male contestants says, "I've got to respect this guy. Unbelievable. This is the greatest man. He's out there just like us. Just going at it and being adventurous."
One of the female contestants says, "Welcome to the club, the "Over The Top" club!"
After Branson's gathers his wits about him, he announces that Nicole, the leader of the losing team, must choose someone for the elimination contest.
While Shawn was the only one on the men's team who did not successfully make the jump, Nicole, nonetheless, choses Sam to compete with her in the elimination challenge.
Unfortunately, Nicole completely discredits herself by disregarding her teammates input after asking them for it. While the consensus, which includes Shawn himself, is that Shawn should be the one to duel it out with her, it appears she has already selected Sam, regardless of what everyone has to say.
The Victoria Falls Barrel Drop
The following day, Nicole and Sam are taken to the edge of Victoria Falls where Branson and a barrel, which has been tested by NASA for a year, await their arrival.
The challenge: To climb inside the barrel with Branson, where they will be taken to the top of the falls by a crane and released into the raging water.
Nicole decides that life is too precious to take the risk -- even if she could be part of setting a new world record and "impressing" Branson. While Nicole is not willing to sign Branson's waiver, should they become injured or die, Sam is.
Branson and Sam enter the capsule. Helmets are on. The two face each other so close together they could easily hit their heads going down.
Sam is told he can press the red emergency button, if he decides to back out.
The crane carries them to the top of the falls. Sam grows quieter, more pensive and nervous. However, when it is time to make a decision, he says to Branson, "Let's do this."
Branson starts the count-down "3...2...1..."
The camera follows the line of falls as if the barrel has been dropped. We return from a commercial break to find the barrel still attached to the crane.
Branson grabs a hold of Sam's face with both hands and says "You're a brave man. But this was about intelligent risk-taking."
Branson communicates to Sam that he had no intention of going through with this challenge.
Branson tells Sam and Nicole that this was a "cruel" test.
Branson's intention: To look for the contestant's ability to assess when a risk is not worth taking.
Branson takes the two to the edge of the falls and makes it clear that they would have been dead, extremely dead, had the crane let go of the capsule.
Sam is devastated. Nicole, unfortunately, becomes smug.
At dinner that night, Nicole shares the experience and the lessons learned with the others.
It's too bad the production crew and Branson did not use the opportunity to test the other contestants on what they would have chosen to do. This would have shown the true colors of all twelve, despite the fact that only two were forced to in "reality" to be put through the test.
Branson is neither impressed by Sam's decision that day nor Nicole's gloating, "boorish behavior" at dinner. He says it will be a difficult choice.
Should he let Sam go or Nicole?
The following morning on the tarmac, we once again learn who Branson eliminates and who is given a second chance.
The build-up is in Sam's favor.
However, it is Nicole who is invited to join the others.
Her teammates are clearly disappointed. Whether or not she realizes it, she will now have to live with a group of fellow contestants who would have rather seen Sam climb on board the Virgin plane...not her.
Upon Sam's departure, he expresses his gratitude to Sir Branson.
He says he plans to learn from this opportunity and to go out and do something as a result of it. We, as an audience, have every confidence he will, at that.
So, has this play-by-play enticed you, in the least bit?
If so, tune in to FOX at 8 pm / 7pm Central on Tuesday, November 23rd. Episode 4 (if you count the two-hour premier as two episodes) takes place in Africa, on a wild safari.
Come on all you risk-taking entrepreneurs. Where are you? Get with "the program."
Inspire & Be Inspired.
Here's to healthy, adventuresome, soulful and "risk smart" living!
~ Jennifer Carolyn King
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