Joan Templeman, the wife of British billionaire Sir Richard Branson , has died at the age of 80.

Branson announced her death on Tuesday in a post on social media, saying he was “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.”

Branson is the founder of the Virgin Atlantic airline, space tourism company Virgin Galactic and satellite launcher Virgin Orbit.

The couple married in 1989 and had three children, Holly, Sam and Sarah Clare. Sarah Clare died shortly after birth in 1979.

In a 2020 blog post, Branson said he met Templeman in 1976 at The Manor, a recording studio in Oxfordshire, England. “

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