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The British billionaire and founder of Virgin Group, Richard Branson, revealed on Monday that his 96-year-old mother, Eve, died of the coronavirus.
“It is a pity that I, like many people’s mothers and fathers in these days of Covid, also passed away my mother Eva,” Branson wrote in a tweet.
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Instead of mourning her loss, however, Branson said he wanted to “celebrate her wonderful life and the joy she has brought to so many people.” ‘
Thus, Branson wrote a long note on his Virgin website about his mother’s life from her days through Germany as a ballet dancer after World War II to when she performed on the West End stage.
“As for so many of us in these days of Covid, it feels so strange that the person who has always been there for us, with so much zest for life, is gone,” he wrote.
Even at 96, the grandmother of 11 and great-grandmother of 10 still had “the same enthusiasm and energy” as when Branson was a young boy, the British businessman said.
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Branson said his mother’s greatest legacy was The Eve Branson Foundation, which worked to “enrich the lives of people in the High Atlas Mountains.”
The non-profit organization also issued a statement after her death.
“We are very sad to announce that our beloved founder, Eve Branson, has passed away,” the foundation wrote. “Eve has inspired and supported Atlasberg communities, to the end of her life.”
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Branson also attributed his success to his mother, saying Virgin would not exist without her help.
He said his mother found a necklace on the ground in England in the 1960s and returned it to a local police station. When no one claimed it, the police returned it to her. She then sold it in London for 100 British pounds, which she then gave to her son.
“Without that £ 100, I would never have been able to start Virgin,” he said.