Richard Branson: Business mogul shares heartbreak as wife Joan Templeman dies aged 80 - what is his net worth?
Business mogul Sir Richard Branson has revealed that Joan Templeman, his wife of 36 years, has died at the age of 80.
The billionaire, 75, took to social media to share the heartbreaking news. He said in a statement: “Heartbroken to share that Joan, my wife and partner for 50 years, has passed away. She was the most wonderful mum and grandmum our kids and grandkids could have ever wished for.
“She was my best friend, my rock, my guiding light, my world. Love you forever, Joan x.”
Richard and Joan met in 1976 and later began dating. They married in 1989 and remained married up until her death. A cause of death has not yet been confirmed.
The couple shared three children together - Clare Sarah, who died shortly after her birth in 1979; Holly, born 1981; and Sam, born 1985.
Sam also paid tribute to his mother, saying: “Mum you instantly made everyone in your presence feel like all was well with the world. You were the kindest, most loving, warm and abundantly generous woman to walk this Earth.
“Thank you for all that you were to me, our family and to everyone who was blessed by your graceful, loving presence. I am so deeply grateful to have had the privilege of being your son and being able to call you mum.”
What is Sir Richard Branson’s net worth?
According to Forbes.com, Sir Richard Branson is worth $2.8 billion (£2.1bn) as of 2025. The site ranks him as the 1408th richest person in the world with his accumulated wealth at the time of writing.
He famously made his name in business when he co-founded the Virgin Group alongside Nik Powell. Their business venture began when they initially launched a mail-order company before going on to launch a chain of record stores and a record company.
The conglomerate company expanded into other markets following major success and now operates businesses in the telecommunications, travel, healthcare, gyms, hospitality, betting, banking, and entertainment industries. This includes Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Galactic, Virgin Media, Virgin Rail Group, and Virgin Money among many others.