All good leaders listen to their people and empower them to go away and turn any innovative ideas they have into a reality.

Many assume my business success has brought me happiness. But the way I see it, I am successful because I am happy.

Focus on your business strengths and keep its weaknesses away from the competition or public.

Be swift to take advantage of business opportunities. Bigger companies are too cumbersome to move quickly; this can be a competitive advantage for you.

My interest in life comes from setting myself huge, apparently unachievable challenges and trying to rise above them.

Do not be embarrassed by your failures, learn from them and start again.

I was a risk-taker as a young man, and I don't regret it. I'm not adventurous in quite the same way now, but I still love the challenge of testing myself to the limits, flying around the world, or seeing if I can be the first to fly a balloon across the Atlantic, or trying to take people into space at an affordable price in an environmentally friendly way. I'll be going into space with three generations of my family!