March 19, 2024

Will Richard Branson erase the stigma of dyslexia?

He may have plans for a dyslexic sperm bank.

 

British billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson is either a practical joker or a quirky eugenicist. On March 31 he announced the creation of the world’s first dyslexia-only sperm bank.

In the past, some sperm banks in the UK rejected dyslexic donors because they might be carriers of “common genetic diseases or malformations”. Ironically, they were reproached for being “eugenicist”. But Branson says on his personal blog that

“this is absurd when you think that some of the most successful people in the world are dyslexic. Rather than being seen as a weakness, dyslexia should be seen as a strength … Dyslexia has been a massive help for me personally; it makes me think creatively and laterally, two major factors that helped me create Virgin and build a global brand …Dyslexia is a different way of thinking, not a disadvantage and it shouldn’t stop young people from achieving success and striving to make their dreams a reality.”

The notion has the air of prank, but Branson says that he will launch “the world’s first dyslexic sperm bank” in London on May 2. A website already exists, MadeByDyslexia.org, which also promises great things on May 2.

As Stat noted, Branson’s holding company, the Virgin Group, has a habit of making announcements on April Fool’s Day, like left-handed telephones, a trip into an active volcano, and using trained ferrets to lay underground cables.

Watch this space. 

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Creative commons
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commercialization
commodification
fake news
sperm donation