Larry Ellison

Larry Ellison
Name	Larry Ellison
Caption	Ellison in 2014
Birth date	17 August 1944
Birth place	New York City, New York, U.S.
Education	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (attended), University of Chicago (attended)
Occupation	Co-founder, Oracle
Net worth	$141 billion (2024)
Spouse	Adda Quinn (m. 1967; div. 1974), Nancy Wheeler Jenkins (m. 1977; div. 1978), Barbara Boothe (m. 1983; div. 1986), Melanie Craft (m. 2003; div. 2010)

Larry Ellison is an American business magnate and investor, best known as the co-founder, former chief executive officer, and current chief technology officer of the global technology giant Oracle Corporation. A pioneering figure in the database management system industry, his leadership transformed Oracle into a dominant force in enterprise software and cloud computing. Renowned for his aggressive business tactics and flamboyant lifestyle, Ellison is consistently ranked among the wealthiest individuals in the world, with significant holdings in technology, real estate, and sports.

Early life and education

Born in New York City to an unwed mother, he was adopted by his aunt and uncle in Chicago. He attended Eugene Field Elementary School and later South Shore High School. Ellison enrolled at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign but left after his second year following the death of his adoptive mother. He subsequently spent a semester at the University of Chicago, where he was first exposed to computer programming. During this period, he held various jobs, including work for technology companies like Amdahl and Ampex Corporation, where he was part of a team building a database for the Central Intelligence Agency.

Career at Oracle

In 1977, alongside Bob Miner and Ed Oates, he founded Software Development Laboratories, which was later renamed Oracle Corporation after its flagship product, the Oracle Database. The company's early success was fueled by implementing IBM's System R research on SQL for commercial use. A pivotal moment came when Oracle won a major contract with the United States Air Force. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, he guided Oracle through rapid growth and intense competition with rivals like Sybase and Informix Software. His management style and strategic vision were central to Oracle's expansion through acquisitions, including major purchases like PeopleSoft, Siebel Systems, and Sun Microsystems, which brought control of the Java platform and the MySQL database.

Business ventures and investments

Beyond Oracle, his investment portfolio is vast and diverse. He is a principal investor in NetSuite, a cloud-based software company later acquired by Oracle. He owns almost the entire island of Lanai in Hawaii through his company Pulama Lanai. A lifelong sailing enthusiast, he founded and funded the BMW Oracle Racing team, which won the 2010 America's Cup. He has made significant investments in biotechnology, including a stake in Tesla, Inc. during its early days and a position on its board of directors. He also co-founded the investment firm Lawrence J. Ellison Foundation to manage his philanthropic and venture activities.

Personal life

Known for his extravagant lifestyle, he owns extensive real estate, including properties in Malibu, Woodside, and Japanese-style estates. He is an avid aviator and holds a professional pilot's license, owning aircraft such as a MiG-29 fighter jet. His personal art collection features works by artists like Paul Gauguin and Auguste Rodin. He has been married and divorced four times and has two children. His competitive nature is evident in his hobbies, which include tennis, yachting, and playing guitar.

Philanthropy

His philanthropic efforts are primarily channeled through the Lawrence J. Ellison Foundation. A major focus has been medical research, with substantial donations to the Ellison Institute of Technology for transformative biomedical research. He has provided significant funding to the University of Southern California for a cancer research center. Other beneficiaries include the Harvard University Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering and research into aging and genomics. Following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, he personally donated millions for disaster relief.

Awards and recognition

He has received numerous accolades for his impact on technology and business. These include the Harvard Business School "Businessperson of the Year" award and the World Economic Forum Global Leader for Tomorrow award. In 2016, he was inducted into the Bay Area Business Hall of Fame. His yacht, *Rising Sun*, and his racing team's victory in the America's Cup are also notable achievements in the sporting world. Various publications like Forbes and Bloomberg Billionaires Index consistently rank him among the top five wealthiest people globally.

Category:American businesspeople Category:American technology company founders Category:Oracle Corporation people