By JACQUELYNN D. POWERS PORTRAIT: HAMESH SHAHANI

The best views of the Strip are seen while landing at McCarran Airport or by taking a scenic helicopter tour. But for eclectic British entrepreneur Richard Branson that was not enough. Last October, the billionaire daredevil decided to rappel 407 feet down the side of the Palms hotel as a stunt to garner attention for his nascent Virgin America airline. Unfortunately, it was a windy day and the feat did not go as planned. "I was dropped at 120 miles per hour down the building," Branson recalls. "I hit the building twice on the way down. I literally flew by the seat of my pants. My ego was definitely bruised, and my bum was bruised even more. I have slightly different memories than most people of what the Strip looks like." Branson, who was clad in a tuxedo at the time, escaped with torn trousers and even more publicity than expected. "It was a stunt that nearly went horribly wrong," he acknowledges.

However, a few contusions are par for the course for the man who lives and breathes danger. Branson, 57, is equally known for his Virgin brand of music, airlines, mobile phones and soft drinks as he is for exploits like trying to span the globe in a hot-air balloon. And it is not rare for Richard to blend his two passions for a bit of press. "I started off as an adventurer," he notes. "I love adventure. Some of our PR people who run our various companies have taken that to mean that anytime I launch a new company we should do something fun. I go along with it. Hopefully, it makes people smile." His latest gig involves marrying people aboard inaugural runs of Virgin America. This matrimonial bent has proven so successful that he recently wed Google co-founder Larry Page on his private Caribbean retreat, Necker Island.

Although he is only a minority shareholder in Virgin America, Branson's fingerprints are all over the brand. Their philosophy seems to be that flying should be fun. The new aviation company is trying to beat JetBlue at its game, with interactive entertainment features like TVs with movies on demand, MP3 players, leather seats, 110-volt outlets, mini-bar service, and mood lighting (think purples and pinks). In first class, the ample seats have a built-in massage function and 55 inches of legroom. . .

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