Sir Richard Branson on ‘painful’ virgin coverage during pandemic

Sir Richard Branson has told the BBC that he has never faced media coverage as “painful” as when he attempted to acquire a loan for his Virgin Group during the pandemic.

Virgin reportedly asked the government for a £500m bailout, which drew criticism due to Sir Richard’s personal wealth.

The government refused the loan but a private rescue deal eventually saw the Virgin Group inject £200m, with an additional £1bn provided by investors and creditors.