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Many entrepreneurs credit strategy, timing, or gut instinct for their success. For one billionaire, a cult novel about surrendering control to a dice roll was an unlikely early influence.<\/p>\n
Richard Branson<\/a>\u00a0is the founder of Virgin Group, the conglomerate behind more than 400 companies including Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Galactic. Known for his adventurous personality and his business acumen, he is also an\u00a0avid reader<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0created a Literati book club called Read Like An Artist<\/a>\u00a0in 2022\u2014a reflection of his long-held belief that reading is one of the most powerful tools an entrepreneur can have.<\/p>\n \u201cReading and understanding the media landscape is important for everyone, and it is especially important for entrepreneurs,\u201d he wrote<\/a>. \u201cYou need to be able to spot opportunities where others see challenges. You need to solve problems. To do this, you must understand the problems of the world, and find new ways to solve them.\u201d<\/p>\n Branson told CNBC<\/a> that he first read The Dice Man<\/em> by Luke Rhinehart just before starting Virgin Records in 1972, a year after the book\u2019s release. The timing was not incidental. As a young entrepreneur on the verge of building what would become one of the most recognizable brands in the world, Branson was finding his entrepreneurial footing.<\/p>\n He has credited the book\u2019s \u201cdice-rolling\u201d strategy as part of his decision-making process when signing artists to his record label. \u201cThis meant compiling a list of potential actions, rolling dice, and going along with whatever number the dice landed on,\u201d Branson said.\u00a0<\/p>\n In The Dice Man<\/em>, the protagonist surrenders his decision-making to the roll of a die, letting chance dictate his actions, choices, and behavior. The dice-rolling philosophy operates on one non-negotiable rule: Whatever the die says, goes. This practice Rhinehart frames as liberation from routine, obligation, and the weight of personal desire.<\/p>\n The provocative thought experiment at the center of the book helped it develop a cult following, with Branson calling it \u201ca very entertaining read that has always stayed with me.\u201d London\u2019s Time Out<\/em> called it \u201cthe most fashionable novel of the early 1970s,\u201d and in 1995 a BBC production named it \u201cone of the 50 most influential books of the last half of the 20th century.\u201d<\/p>\n Branson is the first to admit the experiment had its limits. \u201cSafe to say, I didn\u2019t keep using the book to influence my decisions for long,\u201d he said. But the underlying lesson\u2014that relinquishing control, even briefly, can provide new perspectives\u2014is one that has quietly shaped his approach to risk and decision-making.<\/p>\n For an entrepreneur who has never shied away from a bold bet, knowing when to embrace uncertainty may be one of his most underrated tools.<\/p>\n \u2014Amaya Nichole<\/em><\/p>\n
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