Richard Branson's wife just died. The moment they met is the ultimate love story.

Despite Richard Branson being one of the wealthiest people in the world, there was always something more precious to him than money: his wife Joan Templeman.

Over the years, his love and dedication to his wife has been palpable. And today, he announced her passing, aged 80.

The Virgin founder, 75, confirmed the news on November 25, saying he was "heartbroken" to tell his followers.

"She was my best friend, my rock, my guiding light, my world," he wrote on Instagram. "She was the most wonderful mum and grandmum our kids and grandkids could have ever wished for. Love you forever, Joan."

The couple married in 1989 and shared three children: Holly, Sam, and their firstborn, Clare Sarah, who tragically died at four days old.

Here's everything to know about their sweet love story.

How Richard Branson and Joan Templeman met.

Branson and Templeman's romance stretched back to the mid-'70s when he was building Virgin Records and living on a houseboat, and she was working at an antiques shop called Dodo in Notting Hill.

In a 2020 blog post reflecting on their first meeting over 50 years ago, Branson wrote, "I fell for Joan almost from the moment I saw her."

He joked that Joan, a "down-to-earth Scottish lady," was not the type to be impressed by his usual antics.

When Richard Branson and Joan Templeman met. Image: Instagram/@richardbranson

So he loitered outside the shop, nervous and hesitant. Then he finally worked up the courage to walk in.

Then he walked in again. And again. Each time, he left with another old hand-painted tin sign, pretending he was fascinated by vintage ads for bread and cigarettes.

Within weeks, his houseboat was filled with signs declaring everything from 'Dive in Here for Tea' to 'Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained'.

One sign — a kitschy Danish Bacon poster — ended up inspiring the name for Virgin Records' biggest-selling compilation series: 'Now That's What I Call Music!'

Branson wrote that he often knows within "30 seconds" if he'll like someone, and with Joan, it was instant. She quickly became the person who steadied him, grounded him and shaped many of his biggest life decisions.

They finally got married.

Branson and Templeman married in 1989 on Necker Island—an island he bought almost entirely because of her.

The couple had first visited Necker two years into their relationship, after Branson heard it was for sale and impulsively called the realtor. Virgin Records had little money at the time, but he was, in his words, "a fool in love".

Richard Branson and Joan Templeman. Image: Instagram/@richardbranson

They flew out to see it, fell in love with it instantly, and began imagining a life there. His first offer was rejected, and the couple — sunburnt and bruised in ego — ended up hitch-hiking back to the airport when the owner's helicopter left without them.

A year later, the owner was desperate to sell. Branson bought the island for $180,000. Eleven years after that, he and Joan married on its shores. It's still where he lives today.

Their life together.

Branson often said he owed much of his life to Joan. She preferred to stay out of public view — so much so that she didn't give her first interview until 2016, for a documentary about his big ventures.

Their life together was built on big, cinematic gestures and quiet steadiness.

Both their children married on Necker Island. They raised a family there.

Richard Branson and Joan Templeman. Image: Instagram/@richardbranson

And in 2019, Branson recalled stopping a plane in Majorca because he suddenly couldn't bear the thought of leaving her to go to a business deal: "I jumped up, went to the front of the plane and said, 'I'm sorry, I've got to get off the plane.' And they did stop the plane."

She also worried about his adventures — particularly in 2021 when he headed to space on a Virgin Galactic flight. "My wife is the sort of person who would be terrified on a Virgin Atlantic aeroplane," he admitted at the time.

But she supported him, quietly and completely, for nearly half a century.

Richard Branson and Joan Templeman. Image: Instagram/@richardbranson

He announced her death.

On November 25, Branson shared the news that Joan had died, honouring her as the heart of their family and the anchor of his life.

"Heartbroken to share that Joan, my wife and partner for 50 years, has passed away," he wrote. "Love you forever, Joan."

Just a day earlier, he had shared a throwback photo of the couple with the caption, "Love this photo of Joan."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Richard Branson (@richardbranson)

Their life together spanned record studios, houseboats, failed island offers, wild adventures, and the raising of children and grandchildren. Above all, Branson wrote, it was built on love—and he "wouldn't have it any other way."

Feature image: Instagram/@richardbranson