Billionaire Richard Branson bruised, bloodied in bike crash

VIRGIN GORDA, British Virgin Islands — Richard Branson’s taste for adventure is well-known, but the billionaire businessman admits he thought he was going to die after flying head-first off a bicycle onto a concrete road in the British Virgin Islands.

Branson, 66, posted images of his bloodied and bruised face on social media Friday. He wrote in a post on the Virgin website that his cheek was severely damaged, and that his knee, chin, shoulder and body suffered torn ligaments and severe cuts in the crash that happened earlier this week.

"My life was literally flashing before my eyes," he wrote. "I really thought I was going to die.

Branson credits his bicycle helmet for protecting him from more catastrophic injuries.

His bicycle went over a cliff and was recovered, but it was destroyed.

Branson wrote that he is on the road to recovery, and that his biggest complaint is having to drink tea through a straw.

Over the years, the billionaire daredevil has endured many injuries and brushes with death. Keeping with his optimistic attitude, Branson said about his biking mishap, “My attitude has always been, if you fall flat on your face, at least you’re moving forward. ”

Cox Media Group