Richard Branson's parents first saw the riad that became Kasbah Tamadot while ballooning over Morocco's Atlas Mountains. Today, his exotic retreat—where he has entertained Mick Jagger, Annie Lennox, Peter Gabriel and other famous friends—doubles as a boutique hotel, complete with tented suites, a luxurious hammam and fabulous four-legged tour guides
It’s a few minutes before lunchtime at Kasbah Tamadot in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains, and Richard Branson is about to leap into a turquoise infinity pool, fully clothed. He curls his toes around the edge, counts to three and jumps—making sure to offer a huge grin and two thumbs-up signs—before plunging feet-first into the water.
“It’s warmer than I expected!” he says upon surfacing. “Warmer than the Irish Sea?” I ask, referring to his 1987 dunking off the coast of Northern Ireland, shortly after Per Lindstrand and he became the first team to cross the Atlantic in a hot-air balloon. He nods.
Branson has plenty of reason to be mirthful: He’s on vacation at Kasbah Tamadot, his very own Moroccan hideaway. Behind him, a grand staircase leads to the sprawling adobe-coloured main building where he’s played host to many friends, including Mick Jagger, Annie Lennox, Peter Gabriel and any civilian willing to spend up to $3,000 per night for one of the compound’s 27 rooms.
In front of him loom the snow-capped Atlas Mountains, providing a stark contrast from the sepia scrubland below— and a constant reminder of Branson’s aerial adventures. Several years ago, he nearly plummeted to his death on those very peaks during an ill-fated balloon trip around the world launched from nearby Marrakech. As the cool night air replaced the Moroccan sunshine during Branson’s first day afloat, the helium in his balloon contracted more rapidly than expected, sending him and two compatriots hurtling toward the Earth from 30,000 feet.
“I personally never work out of an office,” he added. “So I always like to work out of beautiful places.”
For Branson, owning Tamadot also serves as a way of entertaining famous friends in the most idyllic of settings. Morocco has long been a favourite of entertainment industry luminaries, from the Rolling Stones in the 1960s to the cast of Game of Thrones more recently. Branson credits the country’s bohemian enclaves, its locals and its copious herbal enticements (“You know, Morocco is famous for its dope,” he explains).
While at Tamadot, which he tries to visit at least twice a year, Branson frequently mingles with guests (by the pool, at meals, near the gift shop and in a couple of the property’s numerous nooks that sport tables, chairs and stupendous mountain views). With a fortune of $5 billion, he could easily afford to block off the property for himself and his family, but the thought of eliminating the possibility of meeting new people does not appeal to him. “I love people, and fortunately my wife loves people as well,” he says. “I think life is all about meeting people. If you own a place like the Kasbah Tamadot, you know it’s important to say hello to the guests, it’s important that you shake hands, and it’s important that you ask questions. I think that’s what makes it an exceptional place over an average place.”
(This story appears in the Sept-Oct 2014 issue of ForbesLife India. To visit our Archives, click here.)