Milliardär gibt auf: Richard Bransons Raumfahrtunternehmen entlässt fast alle Mitarbeiter – Business Insider Deutschland
Richard Branson, the founder and CEO of Virgin Radio, is shedding some of his employee’s. The British businessman announced Tuesday that his private space travel and transportation company, Virgin Galactic, will no longer need any employees.
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“After careful consideration, we have determined that our efforts to expand Virgin Galactic with additional employees would not be viable, given our current financial constraints,” Branson said in a statement.
Virgin Galactic, based in Omelek Island in the Virgin Islands, had been planned to employ 120 people, but Branson announced Tuesday that just 82 of those jobs will remain, with the rest going to contracted subcontractors.
Branson described the decision as a “major shift” in the company’s strategy, saying, “We have always been about developing the very best spacecraft and enabling people to enjoy space travel for many years to come.”
British Airways, which is related to Virgin Airlines, will continue to be the airline’s largest customer.
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Branson’s decision comes as Virgin Galactic is trying to build a two-month-long endurance Super York space tourism mission that is scheduled to launch in May. That mission is expected to bring people to space for up to two hours.
Virgin Galactic’s goal is to bring people to space by 2021.
