Richard Branson Honors Bet Lost To Tony Fernandes

Ana Ghoib Syeikh Malaya 7:05 PG
MELBOURNE: Aviation billionaire Sir Richard Branson would touch down in Kuala Lumpur this afternoon wearing make-up, high heels and stockings to make good a bet he lost to AirAsia chief executive Tony Fernandes at the Grand Prix two years ago.

He left Perth this morning on a charity fundraising flight to Kuala Lumpur, on which he trotted down the aisles in drag.

The Australian Associated Press reported that Branson dropped his pants at a bar in the Perth CBD on Saturday night, allowing AirAsia stewardesses to shave his legs.

There are reasons why it has taken him so long to honour his bet -- he broke his leg; flying in a high-altitude hot air balloon and watching the second prototype of Virgin Galactic's space-bound vehicle break the sound barrier.

"Yeah, it's true. We both had Grand Prix teams and I was absolutely certain that I was going to win," Branson was quoted by AAP as saying.

"Something went wrong. Of course the drivers of that race are no longer with us. I went to extreme lengths to avoid being here (for the charity flight), but knew that one day I had to get it over with."

Meanwhile, Fernandes has been dared into his own promise, announcing he would become one of Virgin Galactic's first commercial space tourists, taking a usually very expensive flight for a few moments of weightlessness.

"What he (Branson) doesn't realise is once I go into space, there'll be a low-cost version - AirAsia Galactica, about 10 per cent of the price he's charging," he said.

Funds from the flight will go to the Starlight Foundation for ill children.

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- Bernama