The rankings, which were compiled by the Telegraph, places the one-time adventurer at position 21. That puts him one place ahead of Digital Britain apparatchik Stephen Timms and one place below Apple fanatic and all-round good egg Steven Fry.

According to the blurb, Branson secured his lofty placing thanks to Virgin Media’s status as a “major player in broadband, cable television and mobile” and his company’s global reach. But Virgin Media’s pioneering construction of a cable broadband network in our own fair isle won’t have hurt either, you’d have thought.

Still we can’t help feeling that perhaps it might’ve been fairer if Chief Executive Neil Berkett had been recognised in the list. For sure, Branson is the public face of the company. But the fact that he only holds a 6.5 per cent stake in Virgin Media, suggests that decisions – and therefore the real influence – lies with Mr Berkett instead.