Larry Ellison is a man who works with computers.
He helped start a big company. This company makes special computer tools. He is very, very rich. He even owns much of a big island. Do you like computers?
Larry Ellison is a man who works with computers.
He helped start a big company. This company makes tools for computers. He was the leader of the company for a long time. He is one of the richest people in the world.
He even owns almost all of a big island. This island is in Hawaii. He also studied science at school. He was named the best science student there. He has worked with many big businesses.
Larry Ellison is a famous American businessman.
He helped start a big software company called Oracle Corporation. Software is the set of rules that tells computers what to do. He was the CEO, or the top leader, of Oracle for many years. In 2026, he was the sixth-richest person in the world.
On one day in 2025, he was even the wealthiest person on Earth.
Ellison grew up in Chicago. He studied math and physics in college. He was even named science student of the year. Later, he moved to California to work with computers. He used new ideas to build a database. A database is a way to organize large amounts of data.
Ellison also owns 98% of the land on Lānaʻi. This is a large island in Hawaii. He has worked with many big groups. He even joined a group that advises the President on science and technology.
Larry Ellison is a famous American businessman.
He is best known for co-founding the software company Oracle Corporation. He served as the CEO, or chief executive officer, for many years from 1977 to 2014. Now, he holds roles as the CTO and executive chairman. Ellison is one of the wealthiest people on Earth. In early 2026, Forbes estimated his net worth at over $201 billion. On September 10, 2025, he briefly became the wealthiest person in the world.
On that day, his net worth reached about $393 billion due to a rise in Oracle stock.
His journey began with a focus on science and math. Ellison was born in New York City on August 17, 1944. He was adopted and grew up in Chicago. In college, he was named science student of the year. He later studied physics and mathematics at the University of Chicago. It was there that he first learned about computer design. This interest led him to move to California to work as a programmer. He eventually found a way to build helpful tools for computers.
Building Oracle was a step-by-step process of using new ideas. Ellison was inspired by a paper about relational database systems. A database is a way to organize and store large amounts of information. In 1977, he and two others started a company called Software Development Laboratories. They invested $2,000 to get the business moving. Ellison provided $1,200 of that money. In 1979, they released Oracle version 2. The company eventually changed its name to Oracle Systems Corporation in 1983.
The business world can be very competitive and difficult. Oracle faced a hard time in 1990 when it lost money. The company had to lay off about 400 people. This happened because of a mistake in how they sold software. Later, Oracle had to fight for its place against other companies. They competed with big names like IBM and Microsoft. Through these years, Ellison helped Oracle become a leader in the industry. He also served as a director for Apple Computer starting in 1997.
Today, Ellison's interests reach far beyond computer software. He owns 98% of the land on the Hawaiian island of Lānaʻi. He bought this land in 2012 for between $500 million and $600 million. He also has a stake in the electric car company Tesla. In 2026, he joined a group that advises the President on science and technology. This group is called the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. His life shows how math and technology can change the world. He continues to be a major figure in business and science.
Lawrence Joseph Ellison is a prominent American businessman and technology leader.
He is most famous for co-founding the Oracle Corporation. Ellison served as the company's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) from 1977 until 2014. He currently holds the positions of Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and executive chairman. His success in the software industry has made him one of the wealthiest individuals globally. As of early 2026, Forbes estimated his net worth to be between $201 billion and $203 billion. This makes him the sixth-richest person in the world. On September 10, 2025, a surge in Oracle stock prices briefly made him the wealthiest person on Earth, with an estimated net worth of $393 billion.
Ellison's path to business leadership began with a deep interest in science and mathematics. He was born in New York City on August 17, 1944. After contracting pneumonia as an infant, he was adopted by his aunt and uncle. He grew up in Chicago, where he was raised in a Reform Jewish home. Ellison attended South Shore High School before enrolling at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. He was a pre-med student and was named science student of the year there. After his adoptive mother passed away, he left that university without taking final exams. He later attended the University of Chicago to study physics and mathematics. It was during this time that he first encountered the field of computer design.
The foundation of Oracle was built on a specific scientific concept called a relational database. Ellison was inspired by a research paper written by Edgar F. Codd titled "A Relational Model of Data for Large Shared Data Banks." This model provided a way to organize large amounts of data efficiently. In 1977, Ellison joined Ed Oates and Bruce Scott to form Software Development Laboratories (SDL). They started the company with a $2,000 investment, and Ellison contributed $1,200 of that amount. Although he had strong technical skills, the founders chose him to lead sales efforts. In 1979, the company released Oracle version 2, which was its first major database product. The company officially became Oracle Systems Corporation in 1983.
Building a global corporation involves navigating significant financial and competitive challenges. In 1990, Oracle faced a major crisis that nearly led to bankruptcy. The company lost money because of an "up-front" marketing strategy. Salespeople encouraged customers to buy large amounts of software at once. They recorded these future sales as current earnings to increase their bonuses. However, many of these future sales did not actually happen. This required Oracle to restate its earnings and settle class-action lawsuits. Ellison later described this period as an "incredible business mistake." Despite this, Oracle continued to grow by finding opportunities in markets that larger companies like IBM had not yet fully entered.
Throughout his career, Ellison has engaged in intense competition with other major technology firms. During the 1990s, Oracle fought for market share against companies like Sybase and Informix. The rivalry between Ellison and Informix CEO Phil White was a major news story in Silicon Valley for three years. Eventually, Informix faced major financial problems, and its CEO was sent to jail. Oracle also faced competition from Microsoft, which entered the market with its SQL Server product. To expand its reach, Oracle acquired Sun Microsystems in 2010. This acquisition gave Oracle control over MySQL, a popular open-source database.
Beyond software, Ellison has expanded his influence into various other industries and assets. In 2012, he purchased 98% of the land on the Hawaiian island of Lānaʻi. The purchase price was estimated to be between $500 million and $600 million. He has also held significant financial stakes in companies like Salesforce.com, NetSuite, and Tesla, Inc. In 2016, Oracle purchased NetSuite for $9.3 billion, which resulted in a $3.5 billion personal gain for Ellison. He has also explored the intersection of technology and medicine. His startup, Project Ronin, aimed to use data analysis to transform cancer care, though it closed in 2024.
Ellison's career is marked by high-level leadership and significant financial milestones. In 2007, his total compensation reached over $61 million. By 2008, his compensation rose to approximately $84.6 million. In 2010, the Wall Street Journal reported that he was the highest-paid executive of the previous decade, earning $1.84 billion.
His influence also extends to government advisory roles. In 2026, he was appointed to the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). This role allows him to contribute his expertise to national discussions on scientific advancement and technological policy.
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