London is the world's most exciting city and I'll always invest my money here

Every time I visit London, I'm captivated by the energy of this incredible city.

- By Sir Richard Branson

It still gives me the same sense of excitement and opportunity I felt back in 1971—standing on Oxford Street at the opening of the first Virgin record shop.

A national postal strike threatened to bankrupt our mail-order record business, so we headed to the high street. It was a make-or-break moment for us, as we raced to find a suitable space and get the shop ready in just a few days. I sorted the window display myself.

Luckily, it worked out. The money we made was reinvested into other business ideas. We bought a country estate in Oxfordshire called The Manor and turned it into a recording studio. The rest, as they say, is history. Virgin Records became the biggest independent record label in the world, signing bands like The Rolling Stones and the Sex Pistols.

Fast-forward a few decades and we grew into a global brand, with nearly 50 businesses across lots of different industries, serving 45 million customers worldwide.

London has evolved and changed over the years and is still a great place to do business. It's well-connected to global markets, it's well-positioned between time zones and has a thriving start-up sector. The city has got busier, but its vibrant culture and diversity still spark creativity and collaboration.