Wikipedia Biography / Profile Background
Introduction :
- Kristen Tomassi, an older woman with bright blonde hair and a shy smile, is an American designer and architect.
- Although Kristen is from the US, she has lived in the UK for many years, as she is also the ex-wife of British billionaire investor and business mogul Richard Branson.
Personal Life, Parents and Family Details :
- Kristen, born in 1952, grew up in an affluent family from the northeastern United States. Her father, Joseph Tomassi, worked for a canned and frozen food company called “Libby International” as the Director of International Marketing and Development.
- The position allowed him to dote on his daughter and send her to the best private schools possible.
Education : Qualifications, High School & College Info
Boarding School :
- Kristen began her education at the Concord Academy in Massachusetts, an independent boarding school for grades 9-12. The school acted as a college prep school and increased her chances to get into a good college.
College Life :
- After graduating from the Concord Academy, she enrolled in Fairfield University, a private Jesuit Catholic university in Fairfield, Connecticut.
- She attended the university until she found her career of choice – home design.
Architecture and Design :
- After Fairfield University, Kristen moved to New York and began attending the Parsons School of Design, another private school.
- She graduated from Parsons, then moved on to focus in architecture at the Arizona State School of Architecture.
Marriage to Richard Branson :
- Kristen first met Richard Branson when she was still in school. Branson was working on his flagship publication Student Magazine and was just beginning to launch the Virgin brand.
- The young couple soon grew enamoured with each other, and Tomassi moved to the UK to be with him.
- Branson, the man who would become Tomassi’s first husband, is well-known today as the head of the Virgin Group, a conglomerate controlling companies like Virgin Mobile, Virgin Radio, Virgin Atlantic & Virgin Galactic.
- A school dropout at age 17, Richard became a self-made billionaire through his own ambitions and tenacity & later became one of the UK’s wealthiest men.
- Tomassi married Branson in July 1972 when they were very young – She was 20 years old, and he was 21 years old. Rev. Hubert McCann officiated the Anglican ceremony at the Holy Cross Church in Shipton‐on‐Cherwell.
Separation & Divorce :
- The couple went strong for a few years, but their relationship became strained with Branson’s busy schedule and Kristen’s restlessness. Neither of them had dated many other people, and they began to feel stifled.
- Eventually, the strain led to infidelity on both sides.
- In 1974, the couple attempted to patch up their relationship by going on a trip to Cozumel.
- There, they hired a deep-sea boat but were caught in a tremendous storm. Together, Tomassi and Branson swam to shore. The boat was never seen again.
- Though the couple managed to beat the weather storm, they were unable to survive their marital storm.
- Kristen began a relationship with rockstar Kevin Ayers. She eventually ran off with him, and the couple divorced in 1979.
- Tomassi went on to have one child with Kevin Ayers, a daughter & continues to live in the UK.
Kristen’s surname Tomassi sounds like an Italian name. Was her father Italian? Do both families ever get together for a friendly catch-up?