site.btaRichard Branson: "The Best Investors in a Country Are the People Who Live There"

Richard Branson: "The Best Investors in a Country Are the People Who Live There"

Sofia, May 19 (BTA) - "The best investors in a country are the people who live there," British entrepreneur Richard Branson said, replying to a BTA question upon his arrival at Sofia Airport on Friday.

Branson is in the Bulgarian capital to give a talk as part of a competition in which a jury selects a business idea out of a pool of projects, submitted in advance, and presents it to Branson.

The entrepreneur added in his airport interview that business is good when people in a country are not happy with certain conditions, take things in their own hands and make them better.

"If you are good to people, if you know how to motivate them, if you gather a fantastic team around you, you stand every chance of being successful," Branson told Bulgarian reporters.

In his opinion, Bulgaria needs hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs. "This is what makes a country a better place, this finances hospitals and schools and improves every aspect of life. Bulgaria already has a lot of entrepreneurs, but we hope that we will be able to encourage even more people in this sphere," he added.

In his words, people should not be afraid to start business, everyone can give it a try. "If you think you can make a lot of money by starting a business, you may fail. That's why you keep your eyes open and when you spot something you know how to make matter - that's what business is all about," the entrepreneur advised his hosts.

He is a friend of Bulgarian tennis player Grigor Dimitrov. The two spent some time together on a little Caribbean island last year. "I am an ardent tennis player and he is my greatest fan Е I mean, I am his greatest fan," the Briton said.

"I will do my best at this evening's talk, and I hope that it will be constructive two hours," Branson said a couple of hours before appearing before the Bulgarian audience at Hall 1 of Sofia's National Palace of Culture.

The 66-year-old Branson is the 8th richest man in the UK according to Forbes, and his wealth is valued at 5 billion US dollars. He is also known for his taste for adventure and for his humanitarian work.