How dyslexia became his superpower

Richard Branson dropped out of school at age 15, barely able to read or write, said Rachel Sylvester in The Times (U.K.). The British billionaire is severely dyslexic, but he wasn’t diagnosed until his 20s, after he’d already opened Virgin Records. His earliest memories of school, he says, are “looking at a blackboard and seeing mumbo jumbo.” During the 1950s, before dyslexia was widely understood, his struggles to learn were considered a form of misbehaving. “I got beaten for not performing,” says Branson, 72. “In those days it was pajama bottoms down and a stick. Those are unpleasant moments for any kid, but for me, it was strangely the best thing that happened to me.” It forced him to forgo mainstream success and sparked his entrepreneurial spirit. Now Branson sees dyslexia as a “superpower,” since it has taught him to think creatively and surround himself with smart people who can complement his talents.That doesn’t mean dyslexia doesn’t sometimes get in the way. When he was 50, a director pulled him aside during a board meeting, having realized Branson didn’t understand the difference between net and gross earnings.The director fetched some crayons and drew the sea (gross) and fish (net). “I realized Virgin’s net worth is nowhere near as big as I thought it was,” Branson says.