Eric Worrall writes: Flamboyant British Billionaire Richard Branson, the man behind Virgin Galactic, the commercial space tourism venture, has been accused by greens of not fulfilling $3 billion of his green funding pledges.
According to The Guardian, a prominent Green UK daily newspaper;
“Richard Branson has failed to deliver on his much-vaunted pledge to spend $3bn (£1.8bn) over a decade to develop a low carbon fuel.
Seven years into the pledge, Branson has paid out only a small fraction of the promised money – well under $300m – according to a new book by the writer and activist, Naomi Klein.”
Branson responded that he has lost a lot of money on green investments;
“There is no question that Virgin is involved in a number of businesses that emit a lot of carbon, and that is one of the reasons why I have to work particularly hard … but, more importantly, to try to help other people balance their books as well. We have invested hundreds of millions in clean technology projects. We haven’t made hundreds of millions profit,”
I guess even green billionaires have to make a choice, eventually, between pursuing green investments, and being a billionaire. To be fair to Branson, he tried – the £300 million he spent and presumably lost is a significant sum.
Branson’s experience demonstrates that at the end of the day, only governments have the luxury of being able to sink vast sums into green money pits, without any serious possibility of a return on investment.
“– according to a new book by the writer and activist, Naomi Klein.”
In my experience, Naomi has a habit about being wrong about everything all the time. I’ll wait for a second opinion about Branson myself.
hahahahahahahahahaha.
Who would invest money with Bram’ now?
Come on Richard, next you will be telling us that your space scuttles cannot get off the ground!
But I am sure that many “university” funds will keep your stuff going!
You da mann!
Sound like he figured out after spending $600M that it wouldn’t work. Of course the Greens don’t want to hear that, but the reality is not their forte.
“… Branson has paid out only a small fraction of the promised money – well under $300m – according to a new book by the writer and activist, Naomi Klein …”
Math is not her forte. 10% is not a small fraction, it’s 10% FFS. I would very happily take half that 😉
I thinks its simple … no warming no money …
I could never get over the hypocrisy of an airline owner being a CAGW fear monger. It’s like a preacher that rails against sin of sex outside marriage who also runs a brothel. 😉
He should have given his money to the UN like Ted Turner did. That would fix it. sarc
Spending money on green projects is like Lucy and Charlie Brown and the football: maybe THIS time its different…
If you make a promise, and you have fistfulls of cash, you better pay up. Ridiculous that he could make any claim that would make anyone not think of him as a short-sighted, selfish, money-grubbing jerk. No take-backsies.
theboltonskydiaries says:
No take-backsies.
Too late!
There’s no honor among thieves. ☺
With $300M spent. Branson’s “Climate Guilt” has been assuaged.
Branson visibly delights in bouncing that globe prop. Does it remind anyone else of Charlie Chaplin’s globe scene in The Great Dictator?
“Does it remind anyone else of Charlie Chaplin’s globe scene in The Great Dictator?”
Yes, immediately. Only instead of Charlie Chaplin, Baby Boomers.
And as is their wont, they are busy ripping out and selling the plumbing, electricity, agriculture and transportation the free society their parents gave them, and undoing all of their parents’ work and victories. Not to mention the brainwashing they have given the generations following them in place of an education.
It is not comical.
Branson should just say that his financial models clearly projected that he would invest $3 billion over 10 years. He could even suggest they go hunt for the missing money in the deep ocean, and see what they say…
read Tom Bower’s “Branson: Behind the Mask”. his hypocrisy is well matched with that of other faux CAGW icons. what is hard to believe is that it has taken so long for his CAGW-activist admirers to work it out.
Richard Branson actually expects his green investments to make a profit? How very capitalist of him.
News FLash: A pledge is just a pledge. Until he actually gives them the money (and pays taxes on the transaction), it is still HIS money.
True, it is still de facto his money, but a pledge is still a promise to anyone with scruples. Websters: a serious promise or agreement.
People make commitments based on a pledge. When someone breaks a pledge, they aren’t just changing their mind. They are, in fact, breaking a solemn promise. And, if they never had the intention of fulfilling that pledge, they are lying and potentially breaking the law, if the situation warrants some kind of judicial satisfaction (there is a possibility that the money was no longer his when he made the pledge but suing for it would be bad for business).
Pledging is the foundation of business, philanthropic and social contracts. But, perhaps, I should use the past tense since it appears that fewer and fewer people adhere to any sense of honor.
I have had the “pleasure” of spending off work time with Branson. He is and always will be a publicity seeker for the lowest cost. He is also rather dim but he knows two things: how to get others to do his bidding for his amusement and how to ensure he enriches himself always.
Unfortunately, in this age of media, no one will actually challenge his lordship with even a moderately developed set of questions b/c we will quickly ascertain that he is an idiot, a successful idiot, but an idiot nonetheless.
GG
PS, some time ago when his vacation home was ablaze, he was lauded b/c he was so heroic in making sure his family and guests were safe. The most important part of the story that branson wanted to make sure got into the news was that he was naked or near naked for most of the effort. That is classic branson – in fact, it would not surprise me if he took the time to undress.
Apparently when RB was on one of his balloon trips he panicked and released full canisters of gas and only the quick thinking of the actual balloon captain saved them from disaster. I sincerely hope RB doesn’t pull a stunt like that in his Virgin Galactic spaceship!!!!!
Branson was correct when he made that kind of money to support a completely illogical idea and claim that over CO2 can solve the problem of climate change. If this reads Branson, I think I can help you with that kind of money solve millennium enigma as to who is the main cause of climate change. If interested and be smart like in this case, I suggest that we can save humanity from the causes and consequences of these changes, as well as all those who unscientific way they want to make stupid and Science and the normal people, so that they were rich on false evidence. Branson, if you feel the same in this my truth, you have a way with me now make contact and make a deal. The more you get to this, but we would have lost, listening to illogical ideas.
Pozrdav,
Nikola
And just what kind of behavior did anyone expect from these two? Honorable? Really? ROFFLMFAO!