The chlorination of myrcene (I) with Cl₂ in refluxing pentane gives the choromyrcene (II), and the hydrochlorination of (I) catalyzed by CuCl yields a mixture of geranyl/neryl chloride (III). The reductive coupling of (II) and (III) by means of Mg and CuCl affords beta-springene (IV), which is condensed with 2,3,6-trimethylhydroquinone (V) by means of cyclooctadienyl rhodium chloride dimer [RhCl(COD)]₂ and K₂CO₃ in refluxing toluene to provide the adduct (VI). The cyclization of (VI) by means of MeAlCl₂ of Ts-OH in refluxing hexane furnishes the tocotrienol (VII), which is finally hydrogenated with H₂ over Pd/C in ethanol to give the target (rac)-vitamin E.