The Rebel Billionaire: Branson's Quest for the Best is a reality show for Fox Broadcasting Company's fall 2004 season. 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. Shawn Nelson was the winner. The one-hour show premiered on November 9, 2004 on the Fox network, and aired 12 episodes through January 2005. It was considered a ratings disappointment for American television prime-time programming.
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. Shawn Nelson was the winner.