Virgin Group founder Richard Branson and his wife, Joan Templeman, were together for nearly 50 years before she passed away at 80. Branson first met Joan in 1976 and later recalled in a 2020 blog post on Virgin.com, “I fell for Joan almost from the moment I saw her.” He described her as “a down-to-earth Scottish lady” who wasn’t impressed by his usual antics.
Joan and Branson got married in 1989 and had three children, named Holly, Sam, and late Clare Sarah, who passed away just four days after being born prematurely. Branson announced Joan’s death on November 25, writing on Instagram, “Heartbroken to share that Joan, my wife and partner for 50 years, has passed away. She was my best friend, my rock, my guiding light, my world.”
Who was Joan Templeman?
Branson first met Joan near The Manor, Virgin Records’ former recording studio. She worked at an antiques shop called Dodo in Notting Hill, close to Virgin’s office. Joan was born in 1948 in Scotland and grew up in a working-class family. Her father worked in trades like carpentry and shipbuilding, and the family’s financial situation was often tight.
As a young woman, Joan took on different jobs and spent time running or working in small shops. One of these was a bric-a-brac and antiques store in London. It was near one of these shops, close to The Manor, Branson’s recording studio in Oxfordshire, that her path crossed with Branson in the mid-1970s.
At the time, Joan was married to Ronnie Leahy, a musician and member of the rock band Nazareth. They got divorced in 1978, after which she began her relationship with Richard Branson.
Richard Branson and Joan Templeman’s love story
Branson wrote in his blog post that he fell in love with Joan almost instantly. “I hovered outside the shop for a while before walking in,” he recalled, looking back on their love story. “The shop sold old signs and advertisements, which I pretended to be fascinated by. Over several weeks, Branson built up a collection of old hand-painted tin signs while visiting Joan.
Just two years after meeting Joan, Branson decided to buy Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands. “We were still in the early days of Virgin Records, and I didn’t have the cash,” he admitted, “but try telling that to a fool in love!” After an initial rejected offer, Branson eventually purchased the island for $180,000, where he still lives today.
Branson and Joan married on Necker Island 11 years after he bought it. Their kids also got married at the same place. Joan preferred a private life and avoided public attention as much as possible. Branson wrote in 2016, “From the beginning, Joan was a very private person…she has never given an interview.” She only spoke for the first time for a film about Branson’s ballooning adventures.
Richard Branson and Joan Templeman’s net worth
Richard Branson built his fortune through the many businesses under the Virgin brand, including Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Galactic. He started his journey with a mail-order record business around 50 years ago and grew it into a global empire.
Branson lives on Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands, which he bought for $180,000 in 1978. Some of his ventures, like Virgin Orbit, faced challenges, like going public in 2021 at a $4 billion valuation, but later going bankrupt in 2023 and selling its assets. Others, like Virgin Money, were highly successful. As of 2025, Forbes listed him among the world’s billionaires, ranking #1305.
Unlike her husband, Joan Templeman never ran companies or had independent businesses, so her personal net worth was never officially recorded. Media estimates suggest that in 2025, her net worth was likely around $10–15 million.