Larry Ellison

Larry Ellison
Born	Lawrence Joseph Ellison 17 8, 1944
Birthplace	New York City, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Business executive, entrepreneur
Title	Co-founder, executive chairman, and CTO of Oracle Corporation
Known for	Co-founding Oracle Corporation
Spouse(s)	Template:Plainlist

Lawrence Joseph Ellison (born August 17, 1944) is an American businessman, entrepreneur, and technology executive who co-founded the software company Oracle Corporation, one of the largest enterprise software and cloud computing companies in the world. Ellison served as Oracle's chief executive officer from 1977 to 2014 and has since held the positions of chief technology officer and executive chairman of the board. Over the course of more than four decades, Ellison built Oracle from a small database software startup into a global technology conglomerate, establishing himself as one of the most prominent figures in the history of the technology industry. His business career has been marked by aggressive corporate strategy, ambitious acquisitions, and a competitive temperament that shaped both Oracle's corporate culture and the broader enterprise software market. Beyond the technology sector, Ellison is known for his extensive real estate holdings, competitive sailing pursuits, and his ownership of approximately 98% of the island of Lānaʻi in Hawaii. In recent years, Ellison and his son David Ellison have expanded their interests into the media industry through the acquisition of Paramount Global. On September 10, 2025, a surge in Oracle's stock price briefly made Ellison the wealthiest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of approximately $393 billion.

Early Life

Lawrence Joseph Ellison was born on August 17, 1944, in New York City. His mother, Florence Spellman, was an unwed 19-year-old, and after Ellison contracted pneumonia as an infant, she gave him to her aunt and uncle, Lillian and Louis Ellison, on the South Side of Chicago to raise. He was raised in a middle-class Jewish household on the South Side. Ellison's relationship with his adoptive father was strained; Louis Ellison was described as a reserved and unaffectionate figure who frequently told the young Larry that he would never amount to anything. Despite this difficult home environment, Ellison showed early aptitude in science and mathematics.

Ellison has spoken publicly about how the instant feedback of competitive activities drew him toward technology. In a 2026 interview, he credited his early love of computer programming to the immediacy of results it offered, comparing the experience to basketball: "You win or lose very quickly," he said, explaining that the feedback loop of programming captivated him in a way that other academic pursuits did not. This competitive instinct and attraction to measurable outcomes would become defining characteristics of his career.

Growing up in Chicago, Ellison attended public schools. His adoptive mother, Lillian, was reportedly a warm and supportive presence, providing a counterbalance to the more critical Louis Ellison. The contrast between his adoptive parents' temperaments and the knowledge that he had been given up by his biological mother left a lasting mark on Ellison, who has spoken in interviews about the psychological impact of his early childhood experiences.

Education

Ellison attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he was named science student of the year during his second year. However, following the death of his adoptive mother, Lillian Ellison, he dropped out of college. He subsequently enrolled at the University of Chicago for one term but left without completing a degree. Despite never finishing his undergraduate education, Ellison's time at university introduced him to computer design and programming, laying the intellectual foundation for his later career in technology.

Ellison's status as a college dropout became part of his public persona, placing him among a cohort of highly successful technology entrepreneurs — including Bill Gates and Steve Jobs — who achieved business success without completing a traditional college education. In 2006, Ellison made headlines when he cancelled a planned $115 million donation to Harvard University, citing disagreements over how the funds would be used.

Career

Founding of Oracle

After leaving university, Ellison moved to Northern California, where he worked at various technology companies during the late 1960s and 1970s. He held positions at companies such as Amdahl Corporation and Ampex, gaining experience in database technology and computer systems. In 1977, Ellison co-founded Software Development Laboratories (SDL) with Bob Miner and Ed Oates, with an initial investment of approximately $2,000. The company was later renamed Relational Software Inc. and eventually became Oracle Corporation.

The founding concept behind Oracle was inspired by a 1970 paper by Edgar F. Codd, a researcher at IBM, which outlined the principles of relational database management systems. Ellison recognized the commercial potential of Codd's theoretical work and set about building a practical implementation. Oracle's first major client was the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), for whom the company developed a database project codenamed "Oracle" — a name that would eventually become the company's own. Oracle became the first company to commercially market a relational database management system using the SQL programming language, a distinction that gave the company an early and enduring competitive advantage in the enterprise software market.

Growth and Dominance in Enterprise Software

Under Ellison's leadership as CEO, Oracle grew rapidly through the 1980s and 1990s, becoming one of the dominant forces in the enterprise software industry. The company's relational database software became the industry standard for large corporations, government agencies, and institutions that required robust data management systems. Oracle went public in 1986, and its stock market debut provided the capital necessary for further expansion.

The growth was not without setbacks. In the early 1990s, Oracle faced a financial crisis brought on by aggressive accounting practices and overly optimistic sales projections. The company was forced to restate its earnings, its stock price dropped substantially, and layoffs followed. Ellison responded by restructuring Oracle's sales organization and refocusing the company on its core database products. The crisis, while damaging, ultimately resulted in tighter financial controls and a more disciplined corporate culture.

Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Ellison positioned Oracle as a direct competitor to major technology companies including Microsoft, IBM, and SAP. His public rivalry with Microsoft and its co-founder Bill Gates became one of the most prominent feuds in the technology industry. Ellison was known for making provocative public statements about competitors, a style that earned him both admirers and critics within the technology sector.

Acquisition Strategy

One of the defining features of Ellison's business strategy was an aggressive approach to corporate acquisitions. Beginning in the mid-2000s, Oracle embarked on a series of large-scale purchases that fundamentally transformed the company from a database software provider into a comprehensive enterprise technology conglomerate. Major acquisitions under Ellison's tenure included PeopleSoft (acquired in 2005 after a contentious hostile takeover bid), Siebel Systems (2006), BEA Systems (2008), Sun Microsystems (2010), and numerous other companies.

The PeopleSoft acquisition was particularly notable for its combative nature. Ellison launched a hostile bid for the rival enterprise software company in 2003, initiating a protracted battle that included regulatory scrutiny from the U.S. Department of Justice, a lawsuit by the state of Connecticut, and public opposition from PeopleSoft's management. Oracle ultimately prevailed and completed the acquisition for approximately $10.3 billion, integrating PeopleSoft's human resources and enterprise resource planning software into its product portfolio.

The 2010 acquisition of Sun Microsystems for approximately $7.4 billion was strategically significant because it gave Oracle control of the Java programming language, the Solaris operating system, and Sun's server hardware business. This acquisition marked Oracle's entry into the hardware market and provided the company with a more vertically integrated product stack.

Transition from CEO and Cloud Computing

In September 2014, Ellison stepped down as CEO of Oracle, transitioning to the roles of executive chairman and chief technology officer. He was succeeded as CEO by Safra Catz and Mark Hurd, who served as co-CEOs. Following Mark Hurd's death in 2019, Catz continued as sole CEO. Despite relinquishing the CEO title, Ellison remained deeply involved in Oracle's strategic direction, particularly its push into cloud computing.

Under Ellison's technical leadership, Oracle invested heavily in building out its cloud infrastructure platform, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), seeking to compete with established cloud providers including Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud. The cloud transition represented a fundamental shift in Oracle's business model, moving from traditional on-premises software licensing to subscription-based cloud services.

TikTok and Recent Technology Ventures

In January 2026, Oracle became a key participant in the deal to restructure TikTok's U.S. operations to avoid a federal ban. The arrangement, which valued TikTok's U.S. operations at approximately $14 billion, included Oracle as a major technology and infrastructure partner. The deal drew attention to Ellison's relationship with President Donald Trump, as multiple parties involved in the restructuring had connections to the administration. Some commentators criticized the arrangement, questioning whether the deal adequately addressed national security concerns.

Media Interests

Through his son David Ellison's company, Skydance Media, the Ellison family expanded into the entertainment and media industries. In a deal that closed in 2025, Skydance acquired Paramount Global, the parent company of CBS News, Paramount Pictures, and other media properties. The acquisition was financed in part by Larry Ellison's personal wealth. As of early 2026, the father-and-son duo faced significant challenges in managing the media conglomerate, including tensions at CBS News related to editorial direction and high-profile on-air incidents involving anchors Anderson Cooper and Stephen Colbert.

Compensation

Throughout his tenure at Oracle, Ellison's executive compensation was a subject of public scrutiny and shareholder debate. His compensation packages frequently placed him among the highest-paid executives in the United States, combining salary, stock options, and other benefits. In 2009, Oracle granted Ellison additional stock options, continuing a pattern of substantial equity-based compensation that had drawn criticism from corporate governance advocates.

Ellison also settled a securities lawsuit related to insider trading allegations. While the details of the settlement did not constitute an admission of wrongdoing, the case drew attention to executive stock trading practices at major technology companies.

Personal Life

Ellison has been married five times. His first marriage was to Adda Quinn in 1967; they divorced in 1974. He married Nancy Wheeler Jenkins in 1977, divorcing a year later in 1978. His third marriage, to Barbara Boothe in 1983, produced two children, David and Megan Ellison, before ending in divorce in 1986. He married novelist Melanie Craft in 2003, with the couple divorcing in 2010. His fifth marriage was to Nikita Kahn in 2015, which ended in divorce in 2020.

Both of Ellison's children have pursued careers in the entertainment industry. David Ellison founded Skydance Media, while Megan Ellison founded Annapurna Pictures. The involvement of both children in film production has made the Ellison family one of the most prominent families in both the technology and entertainment sectors.

Ellison is known for his extensive personal real estate holdings. He has owned properties throughout California, including a Japanese-style estate in Woodside, California, which was modeled after a 16th-century Japanese imperial palace. In early 2026, Ellison sold a home in San Francisco's Pacific Heights neighborhood for approximately $45 million, after having extensively remodeled the property.

Ellison owns approximately 98% of the land on Lānaʻi, the sixth-largest Hawaiian island, which he purchased in 2012 for a reported $300 million. He has invested in sustainable energy projects and resort development on the island.

Yachts and Sailing

Ellison is an avid sailor and yacht enthusiast. He has owned multiple large yachts and has competed in high-level sailing competitions, including the America's Cup. His Oracle Team USA won the America's Cup in 2010 and successfully defended the title in 2013 in a dramatic come-from-behind victory in San Francisco Bay, though the team was also penalized two points before racing began due to rule violations involving illegal modifications to boats used in preliminary races.

Ellison's yachts have themselves attracted media attention. In 2026, the New York Post reported that Ellison had hastily renamed a newly built German-manufactured yacht, the Izanami, after discovering that the name spelled backwards produced an unintended vulgarity. His collection of superyachts has been documented extensively in maritime and luxury publications.

Recognition

Ellison's career in technology has resulted in significant public recognition and media attention. He has been a regular fixture on the Forbes list of the world's wealthiest individuals for decades, consistently ranking among the top ten. On September 10, 2025, following a surge in Oracle's stock price, Ellison was briefly ranked as the wealthiest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of approximately $393 billion.

The New York Times has maintained an ongoing profile of Ellison documenting his business career, philanthropy, and personal life. He has been profiled extensively in business and technology media, and multiple biographies have been written about his life and career, including The Difference Between God and Larry Ellison by Mike Wilson and Softwar: An Intimate Portrait of Larry Ellison and Oracle by Matthew Symonds.

Ellison has been recognized both for his contributions to database technology and for his competitive approach to business. Oracle's development and commercialization of relational database technology fundamentally changed how organizations store, manage, and retrieve data, and the company's products remain in use at a large proportion of the world's major corporations and government agencies.

Legacy

Larry Ellison's legacy is primarily defined by his role in building Oracle Corporation into one of the largest and most influential technology companies in history. The company's relational database management system became a foundational technology for the modern enterprise computing landscape, and Oracle's subsequent expansion into enterprise applications, middleware, and cloud computing created a comprehensive technology ecosystem used by organizations worldwide.

Ellison's management style — characterized by combativeness, bold strategic bets, and a willingness to engage in protracted corporate battles — shaped not only Oracle but also influenced the broader culture of Silicon Valley. His approach to acquisitions, in particular, set a template that other technology companies would follow, demonstrating that growth through purchasing competitors and complementary businesses could be an effective strategy in the software industry.

Beyond technology, Ellison's ownership of Lānaʻi, his competitive sailing career, and his family's expanding involvement in media through the Paramount Global acquisition have extended his influence across multiple industries. The Ellison family's combined presence in technology, entertainment, and media represents one of the more significant concentrations of corporate influence across American industries in the early 21st century.

Ellison's career also raises questions that are frequently discussed in the context of wealth concentration, executive compensation, and the intersection of technology and political power. His relationship with political figures, including President Trump, and Oracle's involvement in the TikTok restructuring deal have placed Ellison at the center of ongoing debates about the role of technology executives in American governance and policy.