On March 31, Sir Richard Branson — that brilliantly innovative billionaire and brains behind the Virgin empire — announced he was creating a dyslexic-only sperm bank. Considering the timing, this might have been an April Fool’s joke, or it may have been a creative response to the policy of the London Sperm Bank, which bars men with dyslexia from donating.
But this part is no joke: Branson gives his dyslexia credit for his success. And clearly he recognizes the strengths that make it a positive attribute, not a negative one. As he stated in his announcement, “Dyslexia has been a massive help for me personally; it makes me think creatively and laterally, two major factors that helped me create Virgin and build a global brand.” He continued, “Dyslexic people from all walks of life — including scientists, artists, astronauts, athletes, mathematicians, actors, doctors, musicians and entrepreneurs — have been kind enough to donate so far.”
The video accompanying the announcement, The World Is Made by Dyslexia, features dyslexic superstars like Muhammad Ali, Albert Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci, Pablo Picasso, John Lennon, and Agatha Christie.