The Rebel Billionaire: Branson's Quest for the Best


The Rebel Billionaire: Branson's Quest for the Best is a reality show for Fox's 2004–05 season.

Premise

The premise for the series was that billionaire Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, challenges 16 contestants to tasks that will prove to him which is most qualified to take over as president of Virgin. This format is strongly derivative of popular NBC reality show The Apprentice, though as well as business-related tasks it also incorporated many tough physical challenges, reflecting Branson's love of daredevil stunts. Each week also saw the contestants travel to a different country, whereas The Apprentice is just situated in one area. Shawn Nelson was the winner.

Presentation

The one-hour show premiered on November 9, 2004 on the Fox network, and aired 12 episodes through January 2005. Although the show had over 5.5 million viewers, it was considered a ratings disappointment for American television prime-time programming. The show found ratings success internationally though, airing in 19 countries around the world, ranking as the #1 show in many countries where Richard Branson does business. The Rebel Billionaire also reran on the Fox Reality Channel.

Contestants


ContestantOccupation
Shawn Nelson Founder of LoveSac Corporation
Sara BlakelyFounder of Spanx, Inc.
Heather MacleanFounder of Little Laureate Inc.
Gabriel BaldinucciReal Estate Investor
Erica VilardiModel
Nicole HarvatLabor Attorney
Candida TolentinoFounder of Earth Cafe Living Foods
Steve BerkeReal Estate Manager/Tennis Pro
Jessica McCannFormer Owner of Sales Company
Michael ZindellWall Street Strategist
Jermaine JamisonTechnology Sales Specialist/Motivational Speaker
Sam HeshmatiFinancial Analyst
Jennifer GrinspanRadio Station Advertising Manager
Tim HudsonTrial Attorney
Aisha KrumpPharmaceutical sales representative
SpencerCar Salesman