You see, it's essential that one of us stays awake during the flight [ballon]. So, rather than using the comfortable Virgin seats which we used to cross the Atlantic, we've asked British Airways for two of theirs.

[If] man creates the problem, surely man can solve it.

My definition of success? The more you are actively and practically engaged, the more successful you will feel.

I think entrepreneurship is our natural state--a big adult word that probably boils down to something much more obvious like playfulness.

Fun is at the core of the way I like to do business and it has been key to everything I've done from the outset. More than any other element, fun is the secret of Virgin's success. I am aware that the ideas of business as being fun and creative goes right against the grain of convention, and it's certainly not how the they teach it at some of those business schools, where business means hard grind and lots of 'discounted cash flows' and net' present values'.

Believe in yourself and back yourself to come out on top. A fulfilling career is waiting for those brave enough to find it.

By working hard, by making the right moves, you can create your own luck, I think. But certainly luck plays a part.