British entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson has been known to attempt some pretty hair-raising stunts in his time, but his most recent one put him behind bars. In pure 007 style, the billionaire, who had a walk-on part in Casino Royale, broke out of an exploding makeshift cell suspended 80ft in the air from a crane before rappelling back down to earth on a rope.
Hundreds of bystanders in Toronto's Dundas Square turned out to witness Tuesday's adrenaline-charged action, which coincided with a Canadian launch by his company, Virgin. Bowing to the assembled crowd he exclaimed, "Great fun!".
It was the latest in a long line of sensational stunts for the dad of two who is no stranger to danger. Sir Richard - whose idea of a vacation is to circle the world in his hot air balloon - is known for his daring movie-inspired aerobatics, including being shot out of a cannon and abseiling from a helicopter last June to announce his V Festival.
In the afternoon the charismatic businessman made an appearance at MuchMusic studios to talk about this year's V Festival music extravaganza in Vancouver, and his company's galactic venture. "We're going to space," he declared. "We're getting the price down from $200,000, so wait just a bit."
Photo: Joshua Meles
Photo: Joshua Meles
