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OneRoury! It's June 1971 in a back office at Virgin Records in London, England.

20-year-old Richard Branson throws a pile of papers on his desk and leans back in his

chair covering his face with his hands. Normally, Richard leaves as much of the paperwork as possible

to his business partner. His dyslexia and discalculia slow down how quickly he can read, and

Richard knows his talents lie elsewhere. But these documents

are for Richard's eyes only. Last month, Richard was arrested by customed agents for tax evasion.

He'd been pretending to export records to Belgium to avoid paying British sales tax, and today

he received legal papers from the prosecutor, and they confirm what Richard already knew he's been caught red-handed.

The telephone rings, and Richard snatches it up.

He's been expecting a call.

Burgeon Records.

Good morning. May I speak to Mr. Branson, please?

You're speaking to him.

Mr. Branson, I'm calling from Spencer and Simpson, the law firm assigned

to your case. Yes, hello. I've just been looking through the paperwork now. It's not an

encouraging read, is it? Well, there is some good news. The tax authorities are usually more interested

in collecting money than spending it, so they'll want to avoid a lengthy court case as much as we do.

Based on the conversations I've had so far, they seem willing to negotiate a settlement court case as much as we do. Based on the conversations I've

...