He might not be as rich as Bill Gates or as revered as Warren Buffett, but Richard Branson is without doubt the hippiest of the world?s billionaires. This maverick entrepreneur-cum-explorer-cum-environmental activist is also a journalist?s dream. Indeed, Richard Branson answers questions rather than coyly sidestepping them, as is generally the wont of most businessmen. Then again, ?most businessmen? haven?t founded a global empire including an airline, a record company and a space travel venture.

The session started off rather inauspiciously, with the guest speaker arriving half an hour late. He might have his own private jet and Caribbean island, but Mauritian traffic is the great equalizer. Not even a billionaire can escape it. Upon arriving though, he was warmly applauded by the audience and quickly dived into the thick of things.

His first business venture, which he started when he was only 16 years old, was a ?magazine for young people? that denounced the Vietnam War and the British education system. The project was fueled by passion. ?Paying the bills was a by-product. I?ve never been interested in being a businessman. I want to create companies that I can be proud of.?

A business that concentrates solely on profits will ?fall flat on its face?. He launched Virgin Atlantic simply because he ?hated? flying other airlines and ventured into space travel because he finds it ?incredibly exciting to build spaceships and create a whole new opportunity for people?. According to Branson school of business, passion is the key to success. Once you have it, profits apparently follow.

<B>Enhance nature</B>

He recounted how Nobel Peace Prize recipient Al Gore dispelled all his misgivings about the true threats of climate change by giving him ?a one-to-one lecture? at his home. ?I decided to check up on what Al Gore told me.? He did this by meeting James Lovelock, the father of the Gaia Theory, and Tim Flannery, the author of the seminal The Weather Makers. His little fact-finding mission left him feeling ?extremely concerned for my children and grandchildren?. ?It?s the greatest catastrophe facing mankind,? he says dolefully. ?Vast areas will become deserts. Billions of people could perish.?

This is why Virgin Atlantic has committed itself to ?clean fuels?. He expounded passionately about the ?need to create a biofuel that doesn?t eat into the food supply?. Algae, it seems, could fit the bill. Richard Branson has also created a company that advises governments on how to make their countries carbon neutral. During his meeting with Navin Ramgoolam, he told the Prime minister that Mauritius is ?one of the easiest countries to make carbon neutral?, namely because of its mountains (windmills), and the abundance of sun (solar power) and sugar (bio-fuels).

Despite the fact that he had only been in Mauritius for 24 hours, he seemed to know the challenges facing the country off pat. If he were in charge, he would ?reduce import bills on fuels and create jobs through clean energy. Use the wind. Use the sun. It?s a lovely thing for a person to do. Mauritius is beautiful but fragile. There is a danger of destroying it?. Coal-fired power stations, like the one the Central Electricity Board is planning to build in Albion, are ?completely and utterly unnecessary?. Renewable energy technologies should be tax-free while ?ever-increasing taxes? should be imposed on ?dirty fuels?.

He describes the government?s objective of welcoming two million tourists by 2015 as ?quite a stretch?. According to him, hotels on the coast shouldn?t be more than two storeys high and cultural attractions, such as the capital?s old houses, should be preserved. He reiterated the need to ?enhance nature rather than destroy it?. He would also create an independent television station to challenge the government?s stranglehold on TV, which ?is not good for political stability?.

His relaxed demeanour and casual attire belie an impressive grasp of world affairs. He staunchly opposed the US invasion of Iraq. ?Saddam Hussein was obviously a bad man but did we have to kill and maim a million people to get him?? With the audience hanging onto his every word, he explained how he had asked Nelson Mandela to meet the Iraqi dictator to try and persuade him to go into exile in Libya. Sadly, ?the bombs started falling? the very same day that Nelson Mandela?s plane was due to take off for Baghdad.

When questioned on his ?most beautiful mistake?, the billionaire reminisced about a condom company he had created called Mates. One day, he received a strongly-worded letter from a customer complaining that his product had ripped during use. He wrote back apologizing as profusely as he could. Nine months later, he received a photograph of a baby girl. Affixed to it was a letter asking him to be the toddler?s godfather. He is still in touch with her today.

That?s Richard Branson in a nutshell. His philosophical approach to life and business acumen allows him to turn mistakes into victories. His candour is obviously part of a finely-honed public persona. Yet to stop at that would be to miss the point entirely. One can?t help but feel that Richard Branson is the real deal. On my way out of the session I over-heard one businessman murmuring to another: ?If all stars were like this, we wouldn?t have any problems.? I was very tempted to blurt out: ?No! If all businessmen were like this, we wouldn?t have any problems!?