Yes, yes, I know… tons of stories backlogged here, and we’ve been distracted elsewhere… This one couldn’t wait, though— Recently at Davos (the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland), Sir Richard Branson made his first appearance, mingling with presidents, kings, and other billionaires (including Bill Gates). French blogger/podcaster Loic Le Meur (who’s also president of Six Apart Europe) managed to interview Branson briefly, and it’s definitely worth a listen.

Asked why he doesn’t go into politics to change the world, Branson notes that politicians are relatively ineffective given their short terms, and points out that business leaders can often exert more influence and do more to change the world for the better. He’s absolutely right, of course. Also interesting that he apparently considered running for Mayor of London a couple years ago, and as much as I love London, that certainly seems incredibly limited for someone with Sir Richard’s international influence. (To put it in perspective, I think the Branson quote most heard at the time was his view in favor of decrminalizing marijuana…)