American businessman and entrepreneur Larry Ellison was cofounder and CEO (1977–2014) of the software corporation Oracle Corporation. He was born in New York City on August 17, 1944.
Florence Spellman, his mother, was a 19-year-old single mother. She sent him to live with her aunt and uncle, Lillian and Louis Ellison, in Chicago when he contracted pneumonia when he was nine months old. They adopted the boy. He began attending the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign in 1962 but left soon after Lillian passed away in 1964. He had a very tough relationship with Louis, who frequently warned him he would never amount to anything, but he was quite close to his adopted mother. In 1966, Larry then went to the University of Chicago for a short time.
Larry Ellison Biography
| Name | Larry Ellison/ Lawrence Joseph Ellison |
| Born | August 17, 1944 |
| Nationality | American |
| Age | 77 |
| Net Worth | $89 Billion |
| Business | Oracle |
| Spouse | Adda Quinn, Nancy Wheeler Jenkins, Barbara Boothe, Melanie Craft |
| Children | Megan Ellinson, and David Ellison |
Early Life & Education
Later, Larry Ellison went to the University of Chicago and learned Physics and Math. also this is where he came across computer design for the first time. In 1966 Larry moved to Berkeley. He was taking different classes at Berkeley, but the one he loved was a sailing class.
Driven by the deep love for the omnipotent Pacific ocean, Larry wanted to buy a boat. He thought that he should be a sailor instead.
This is where the hell broke loose. His wife called him irresponsible and kicked him out, eventually divorcing him. But Larry was aware of who he was. Perhaps that is why he says,
Career
Ampex Corporation & Relational Software
One of Ellison’s first jobs as a young man was to work for the Ampex Corporation, where Ellison did database management and computer programming. This job would form the seeds for Ellison’s eventual founding with the Oracle Corporation, with a database he worked on for the CIA actually serving as the inspiration for the name Oracle.
While working at Ampex, Ellison would meet Ed Oates and Bob Miner – the three would eventually found Software Development Laboratories, the forerunner for Oracle.
Software Development Laboratories
Software Development Laboratories was the forerunner for Oracle and was founded by Ellison, Oates & Miner in 1977. The company originally built software and database management software, seeking to work with IBM to develop databases that worked with their systems. One of its first products was the Oracle Database 2, released in 1979. The company continued to expand its product offerings, expanding into additional hardware, software, and consulting services.
Oracle
Software Development Laboratories changed its name to Oracle Systems Corporation in 1983 and would be known as some variation of Oracle from this point forward.
In the 1980s, Oracle entered new markets, creating database products for Windows and Unix and entering an increasingly competitive marketplace. Oracle would continue to grow and expand under Ellison’s leadership, and from here, Ellison would become known for a variety of personal characteristics, including an intense competition and leadership style.
As time went on, Oracle’s product offerings grew. They would eventually expand to a slew of database management, middleware, Enterprise options, applications, development software, and more.
All of this made Ellison a rich man. His salary and stock options vaulted him into billionaire status in the 1990s, and he would eventually become a board member of a variety of highly prestigious companies, including Tesla and Apple.
There is no question that Ellison is best known for his time as the co-founder and leader of Oracle. During his time, Ellison created a company that has become a tech giant and made himself one of the richest men in the world in the process. He dominated all competition, merged and bought companies, and has become outspoken about his aggressive leadership characteristics.
Personal Spending
Ellison has earned extensive wealth over the course of his career and he has spent it in many extravagant ways. This includes:
- The purchase of an island, Lanai. Lanai is a small island in Hawaii, and Ellison now makes his home there. As of 2012, Ellison owned a massive 98% of the entire island. Lanai is not just Ellison’s private home, as it has a small population of roughly 2,100 people. Ellison built a house on the island as well.
- While Ellison makes his home on Lanai, he also owns multiple homes across the world, including multiple homes in California. His houses have many different themes, including a Japanese-themed house.
- Ellison owns his own fleet of jets, having purchased at least four over time. He owns two military jets and multiple other planes.
- Ellison is a yacht racer and ship captain. He has owned multiple yachts over the course of his career.
Despite this, Ellison remains committed to philanthropy. He took Warren Buffet’s “Giving Pledge,” vowing to give up 95% of his wealth to charity upon his death.
Sports & Hobbies
As noted above, Ellison has made many jet and yacht purchases. He is a certified pilot. He has also been known to enjoy other sports, including yacht racing. Ellison’s yacht, jet, and motorcycle purchases have sometimes put him in physical danger. In 1992, Ellison shattered his elbow as a result of a motorcycle crash. In the aftermath, Ellison became more interested in medical research, donating millions of dollars to the field and ultimately resulting in him winning multiple awards for his commitment to this area. Indeed, from a philanthropic sense, one of Ellison’s defining characteristics has been his interest in this area – an interest unquestionably influenced by his personal experiences.
Larry Ellison: Net Worth, Marriages & Divorces, Children, and Tragedy
Net Worth
As of September 2021, Larry Ellison’s net worth was estimated to be $116.1 billion. This net worth made him the 10th richest person in the world as of January 2021.
Marriages and Divorces
Ellison has been married and divorced four times, but has never been married to a spouse for more than seven years.
- His first wife was Adda Quinn. The two were married in 1967 when Ellison was 24. They divorced in 1974, with Adda Quinn blaming Ellison’s spending habits and obsession with wealth contributing to the end of their marriage.
- Ellison’s second spouse was Nancy Wheeler Jenkins. The two were married in 1977 but divorced by 1978. According to information, Jenkins gave up her claim in Oracle for $500.
- Ellison’s third wife was Barbara Boothe, who was a reception at one of Ellison’s first companies, Relational Software. Booth would become the mother of both of Ellison’s son and daughter, David and Megan. The two were married from 1983-1986.
- Ellison’s fourth and final spouse was Melanie Craft, a novelist. The two were married from 2003-2010.
Children
Ellison had two children with his third wife, Barbara Boothe, who gave birth to a son and daughter. Their children, David, and Megan Ellison are both film producers.
Tragedy
Ellison’s life was filled with tragedy, and Ellison has noted that these tragedies – and his ability to overcome them – helped lead him to the person he is.
Ellison was born to a single mother who gave him up when he was a baby. He did not meet his mother again until he was 48 years old. His adopted mother – who was actually his Aunt – died when he was attending the University of Illinois, and this was responsible for him dropping out of college.
Larry Ellison: Awards and Achievements
- Rebel with a Cause
In 2019, Ellison won the Rebel with a Cause award, given to Ellison on behalf of his extensive work to raise money for medical research and his Foundation.
- Distinguished Medical Informatics Award
In 2011, Ellison won the Distinguished Medical Informatics Award from the Friends of the National Library of Medicine. The award was given to Ellison as a result of his efforts to advance health in the world.
Larry Ellison: Published Works and Books
Many books have been written about Larry Ellison, but he has not published any books or other artistic works.
Also Read : Mark Zuckerberg (CEO of Facebook) Biography
Business Acquisitions
Larry Ellison is not only the founder of Oracle. He has also acquired some of the biggest business names that you might not know of. For example, he owns Bloomberg, Business Insider, The Hill, and The Wall Street Journal.
Charity
Ellison invested $5 million in Lawrence J. Ellison Musculo-Skeletal Research Center in 1992. According to the list of charitable donations by the 400 wealthiest Americans by Forbes, Ellison donated $151,092,103, which is 1% of his personal wealth.
Also, in 2007, he pledged to donate $500,000 to a community center in Sderot, Israel. Ellison is also among the 40 billionaires who have signed “The Giving Pledge.”
Personal Life
Ellison’s marriage life has been through many ups and downs. He married Adda Quinn in 1967, and it lasted until 1974. Later he married Nancy Wheeler Jenkins (1977 to 1978). His marriage with Barbara Boothe lasted from 1983 to 1986. But with her, he had two children named David & Megan. His marriage to Melanie Craft, a romance novelist, lasted for 7 years (2003 to 2010).
Larry Ellison loves winning, and he makes the most out of winning by getting what he wants.
Mr. Ellison is a licensed pilot and owns several aircraft. He has also invested in some luxury real estates. His Woodside California is modeled after feudal Japanese architecture and is worth $110 million. Elon Musk is not the only business tycoon to appear in Marvel’s Ironman. Larry Ellison also had a cameo in Ironman 2.
Private Island
Lanai
In 2012, Larry completed an agreement to purchase 98% of Lanai for $300 million, one of the eight main islands of Hawaii, and received 88,000 acres (137.50 square miles) of island land, which previously belonged to another billionaire, David Murdock, before the bargain.
The purchase included Lodge at Koele — two championship golf courses and clubhouses, the Koele Golf Course, and the Manele Golf Course. It also had the Four Seasons Resorts Lanai at Manele Bay and the Four Seasons Resorts Lanai.
Larry Ellison plans to develop the island’s infrastructure and increase the production of fruit and vegetables for sale across the ocean. Also, he will be elaborating on the project connected with renewable energy and turning salt water into drinking water.
Yachting Competitions
Apart from his achievements in business, Larry Ellison is the team principal of Oracle Team USA, founded in 2000 as an American yacht syndicate. It was initially formed to compete for the 2003 America’s Cup but failed to win the first time. They made a second attempt and completed the 32nd America’s Cup but gained no luck.
On February 14, 2010, Ellison’s trimaran USA 17 (formerly known as BMW Oracle Racing 90 or BOR90) won the 33rd America’s Cup (Ellison participated in the 2nd race). The team also won the 34th America’s Cup in 2013.
Oracle Team USA also participated in the 2011–13 America’s Cup World Series but was excluded from the competition for cheating on August 08, 2013. In August 2013, the competition jury discovered that their team made unauthorized modifications to their boat. As a result, Oracle Team USA received penalties that included a fine of $250,000, expulsion of three team members, and a one-point penalty for each of the first two races of the match in which they would otherwise score a point.
Larry Ellison was the owner of the eighth largest yacht in the world, Rising Sun, till 2010 when he sold it to David Geffen. Rising Sun is a 453-foot (138 m) long yacht and costs about $200 million.
Tennis
In 2009, Larry Ellison bought the Indian Wells Tennis Garden tennis facility near Palm Springs, California, and the Indian Wells Masters tournament.
Leave a Reply