Written By: Muskan Gupta | Updated : November 26, 2025 11:10 AM IST
Joan Templeman, the wife of British billionaire Sir Richard Branson, died at the age of 80. The Virgin Records founder and airline tycoon shared the news on his Instagram handle, writing that he was "heartbroken" to announce the death of Ms Templeman, his girlfriend of nearly 50 years.
"Heartbroken to share that Joan, my wife and partner for 50 years, has passed away. She was the most wonderful mum and grandmum our kids and grandkids could have ever wished for. She was my best friend, my rock, my guiding light, my world. Love you forever, Joan x," Sir Richard wrote.
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Ms Templeman was not publicly known to be ill, and the message did not state the cause of death. As of now, no official information has been released by the family regarding any illness, accident, or other reasons. Given Joan's reserved personality, the family looks to be keeping her privacy throughout their time of mourning.
Ms Templeman, a down-to-earth Scottish woman who wanted to remain out of the spotlight, was regularly recognised by Sir Richard as a calming factor in his career, offering a counterbalance to his lavish personality. While the bleached-blonde billionaire jetted around the world developing reality shows and business projects such as Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Galactic, Ms Templeman worked as a stay-at-home mother before shifting her focus to charities.
She particularly sponsored several premature birth charities after her daughter Clare died at the age of four days, having been born three months prematurely. In 2013, she and her husband co-signed Bill Gates and Warren Buffett's Giving Pledge, pledging to donate the majority of their money to charity over their lives.
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