Richard Branson Shares the Story of How His Quirky Uncle Inspired Some of the Biggest Decisions He's Ever Made

By Hope Restle

When Richard Branson talks about his biggest career influences and mentors, he almost always mentions his mother, his father, and English airline entrepreneur Sir Freddie Laker. But in a recent LinkedIn post, the billionaire Virgin founder talked about his uncle Jim who "didn't have such a personal impact upon my life, but had a huge effect on the way I think about the world."

Great-uncle Jim served in the Army during World War II and made a reputation for himself by munching on grass as a "healthy practice."