Wednesday, September 6, 2017

Sir Richard Branson Survives Irma, Says Son

Sir Richard Branson, the business mogul who said he'd be riding out Hurricane Irma on his private island, Necker Island, in the British Virgin Islands, appears to have survived the hurricane intact--according to his son, Sam. Sam Branson said in a post on Instagram that "all humans on Necker are okay", although "a lot of buildings destroyed" (sic). Sir Richard Branson--who had been actively posting on Twitter up until the evening, had said that the group of people staying at Necker Island would retreat to the compound's concrete wine cellar before the eye of the hurricane hit. Based on satellite photos, the center of Hurricane Irma--an enormously strong, Category 5 hurricane--appeared to have directly hit Necker Island as it passed slightly to the north of the British Virgin Islands. Sam Branson, in his update, told his followers, "Please don't take this hurricane lightly if it is heading your way." Branson is an investor in a number of Southern California technology companies, including Virgin Galactic and Ring.

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