Quotation by Richard Branson:

Capitalism as we know it, which essentially started around the time of the industrial revolution, has certainly created economic growth in the world, and brought many wonderful benefits, but all this has come at a cost that is not reflected on the balance sheet. The focus on profit being king has caused significant negative, unintended consequences. For over a century and a half cheap labour, damaged lives, a destroyed planet and polluted seas were all irrelevant when set against the need for profit. But this is changing.

Richard Branson     (more by this author)

1950 -

is an English business magnate, best known for his Virgin Group of more than 400 companies.

His first successful business venture was a magazine called Student at age 16.[3] In 1970, he set up an audio record mail-order business. In 1972, he opened a chain of record stores, Virgin Records, later known as Virgin Megastores. Branson's Virgin brand grew rapidly during the 1980s, as he set up Virgin Atlantic Airways and expanded the Virgin Records music label.

Branson is the 4th richest citizen of the United Kingdom and 254th richest person in the world, according to the Forbes 2011 list of billionaires, with an estimated net worth of US$4.2 billion.

Country: England

Type: Prose
Context: Unknown
Uttered: 11