Virgin roared on to the British stage in the 1970s with the innovative Virgin Records, brainchild of Richard Branson, who signed unknown artists and began a marathon of publicity that continues to this day. The flamboyant Branson sold Virgin Records (to Thorn-EMI for nearly $1 billion in 1992) but went on to create over 200 companies worldwide whose combined revenues exceeded €11.5 billion (about $16.2 billion) in 2009.