With four decades of entrepreneurship behind him, Richard Branson has turned his attention—and his wealth—to preserving the environment. In 2006 he pledged his transportation businesses’ profits for ten years—an estimated $3 billion—to fight global warming. Branson is also funding research on renewable energy sources. His Virgin Fuels division has invested nearly $400 million in the effort to date. Virgin Group has also partnered with NTR, an Ireland-based developer of renewable energy, in a joint venture to build ethanol production plants. The venture, called Virgin Bioverda, has funded two 100-million-gallon plants that convert corn to ethanol in Indiana and Tennessee. Additional biofuel opportunities are under study in North America and Europe. Virgin is also working with Boeing and GE viation, an engine maker, to develop biofuels for aircraft. The company is also working on biofuel production for buses, trains, and cars. Virgin Group also has a train business, Virgin Trains, based in the United Kingdom. That division recently launched a $5.2 million advertising campaign to promote its eco-friendly Pendolino trains. Under the slogan “Go greener, go cheaper,” the national campaign includes TV commercials supported by print, radio, outdoor, and online ads as well as brochures. Branson’s financial arm, Virgin Money, has established the Climate Change Fund, a green fund investing only in companies committed to high environmental standards. A majority of the fund will be invested in companies with better-than-average environmental records in their industries. Branson has announced a high-stakes competition to solve the problem of greenhouse gases. His Virgin Earth Challenge offers a $25 million award to the person or people who come up with a way to remove greenhouse gases from Earth’s atmosphere.

• Entrepreneur Richard Branson has said, “Money’s a crude measure of success, at best. It is only interesting for what it lets you do.” What kinds of challenges have Branson and other entrepreneurs tackled to suggest that this is true? Cite some examples. 

• In addition to the environment, Branson says entrepreneurs have a unique role to play in solving global issues like poverty and health crises. Do you agree? Why or why not?