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Futurist in the press: Exclusive interview with Richard Branson, Metro newspaper
Richard Branson is one of the most iconic entrepreneurs of all time but sometimes you've got to give the critics fuel in order to create the future.
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Griffin, M. (2018) 'Futurist in the press: Exclusive interview with Richard Branson, Metro newspaper', 311 Institute, 2 February. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/featured-futurist-exclusive-interview-with-richard-branson-metro-newspaper/ (Accessed: 8 October 2026).
I have to admit I do sometimes have to sit back and pinch myself, after all, it was only a few months ago, comparatively, that the Discovery Channel interviewed me to illicit my opinions on Elon Musk and his vision for the future of transportation, and now, as we wave goodbye to January here I am again being asked to commentate on Richard Branson's future visions. It's a funny old world, but as I say in my interview, criticising people who are trying to make the world a better place, change the status quo and, or, push the boundaries of what's possible is easy, but if more people got off the fence and holstered their poking fingers then we might already have managed to solve some of the world's greatest challenges.
You can find the excerpt of my interview below, happy reading, and let me know what you think - am I right or wrong in my opinion?
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Richard Branson is one of the most iconic entrepreneurs of all time but sometimes you've got to give the critics fuel in order to create the future.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 2 February 2018. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2018). Futurist in the press: Exclusive interview with Richard Branson, Metro newspaper. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/featured-futurist-exclusive-interview-with-richard-branson-metro-newspaper/
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