From rags to riches: How Ellison, at age 81, claimed the throne of the world's wealthiest person

In September 2025, when Oracle announced the signing of four new record-breaking contracts, and the company’s stock soared over 40% in a single day, the tech world held its breath. For 81-year-old Lawrence Ellison, it was a moment of triumph that made him the richest person in the world—surpassing even Elon Musk. His wealth then reached $393 billion. But how did it happen? How did a former “troublemaker” from Silicon Valley, who dropped out of college and worked as a freelance programmer, become the architect of the digital world and ultimately claim the crown of global magnate?

Ellison: From Chicago Orphan to Silicon Valley Visionary

Larry Ellison’s story is one of transformation that seemed impossible. Born in 1944 in the Bronx as the child of an unmarried 19-year-old who couldn’t raise him, he was placed in the care of his aunt in Chicago at less than a year old, where he grew up in a typical civil servant’s home. His family struggled financially, and future prospects looked uncertain.

Ellison gained admission to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, but shortly after hearing of his adoptive mother’s death, he dropped out. Soon after, he tried his luck at the University of Chicago but couldn’t last even one semester. These educational setbacks could have ended tragically for him, but young Ellison chose a different path—traveling across the United States for many years, working odd jobs.

A turning point came when he moved to Berkeley, California, where the atmosphere of freedom and innovation captivated him. “People there seemed freer and smarter,” he later recalled. It was here, at the turn of the 1960s and 70s, that Ellison joined Ampex Corporation, a tech company specializing in data storage and processing. At Ampex, he gained experience working on a secret project for the CIA—a database management system codenamed “Oracle.”

Oracle: How Ellison Built a Database Empire

In 1977, at age 32, Ellison co-founded Software Development Laboratories with two former colleagues from Ampex—Bob Miner and Ed Oates. The initial capital was just $2,000, with Ellison contributing $1,200. What set them apart from other startups was their deep understanding of the potential of databases in business. They weren’t inventors of the technology—they were entrepreneurial visionaries who saw where the market was heading.

The name was obvious: “Oracle.” The same name as the CIA project. From the very beginning, Ellison played nearly every leadership role in the company—from CEO (1978-1996) to chairman of the board (1990-1992). His presence and determination were omnipresent, and his vision—ruthless.

In 1986, Oracle went public on NASDAQ, and Ellison became the face of the enterprise software revolution. Over four decades, the company experienced ups and downs, sometimes dominating the database market, sometimes losing pace in the cloud era. But Ellison’s role never changed—he was the soul of Oracle, the force driving the company forward regardless of market conditions.

Explosive Growth: When AI Gave Ellison a Chance to Return

Oracle had long lagged behind Amazon AWS and Microsoft Azure in the cloud race, but its position in traditional databases and corporate client relationships never waned. Then came an era that could change everything—generative artificial intelligence.

In summer 2025, Ellison made a clever move. Oracle announced layoffs of several thousand employees from traditional divisions, while heavily investing in data centers and AI infrastructure. It was a 180-degree pivot—transforming from a “traditional software giant” into a modern provider of infrastructure for the new technological era.

When a few months later, news broke of a five-year, $300 billion deal with OpenAI, the market was stunned. These weren’t just speculations—they were concrete, massive contracts positioning Oracle at the heart of AI’s future. Shares soared 40% in one day—the biggest jump since 1992. Ellison, once seen as a relic of the old tech guard, suddenly found himself at the epicenter of the future.

Ellison Dynasty: From Code to Hollywood Empire

Ellison’s wealth is not just his personal success story. His son, David Ellison, expanded the family empire into a new, unexpected direction. For $8 billion, he acquired Paramount Global—the owner of CBS and MTV. Of that sum, $6 billion came from family funds. This meant one thing: the Ellison family had entered Hollywood.

On the political scene, Ellison has always been active and engaged. Over the years, he supported the Republican Party, funding campaigns for politicians like Marco Rubio and Tim Scott of South Carolina (donating $15 million). This year, he appeared at the White House alongside SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, announcing the construction of a $500 billion AI data center network. It was a demonstration of his own, Oracle’s, technology—key to this empire. Business and politics continually intertwined in a world where Ellison wielded influence.

The Rebel in Full Sun: How Ellison Lives Like No One Else at His Age

The paradox of Ellison is that he is both an ascetic and a hedonist. He owns 98% of Lanai Island in Hawaii, several luxury residences in California, and some of the world’s most expensive yachts. At the same time, he lives with a strict discipline that could shame a monk.

In 1992, he nearly died surfing—a mishap that should have kept him away from the sport. Instead, he turned to sailing, where he found a new playground for his passion for adventure. In 2013, supported by him, Oracle Team USA pulled off one of the most dramatic comebacks in sailing history, winning the America’s Cup. A few years later, he founded SailGP, a league of fast catamarans now supported by celebrities and athletes like Anne Hathaway and Kylian Mbappé.

His love for tennis is equally intense. He revitalized the Indian Wells tournament in California, turning it into what is now called the “Fifth Grand Slam” of tennis. For Ellison, sports are not just hobbies—they are the elixir of youth. Former managers recall that in the 1990s and 2000s, Ellison spent several hours daily on intense training. He drank only water and green tea, with his diet under strict control. At 81, thanks to this discipline, he still exudes energy—described as “twenty years younger than his peers.”

In his personal life, Ellison has been married four times and had numerous affairs. In 2024, he quietly married Jolin Zhu, a Chinese woman 47 years his junior. The information leaked from a University of Michigan document, where both were listed as donors. Internet users joke that Ellison loves surfing waves and falling in love with new partners with equal fervor.

Money with a Purpose: Ellison’s Philanthropy and Vision for the Future

In 2010, Ellison signed the “Giving Pledge,” committing to donate at least 95% of his wealth to charity. But unlike Bill Gates or Warren Buffett, Ellison rarely works in teams or collective initiatives. To The New York Times, he said: “I enjoy solitude and don’t want to be influenced by others’ ideas.”

In 2016, he donated $200 million to the University of Southern California to establish a cancer research center. Recently, he announced that part of his wealth would go toward collaborating with Oxford University to create the Ellison Institute of Technology, which will research medicine, food, and energy. On social media, he wrote: “We want to design a new generation of life-saving drugs, build affordable agricultural systems, and develop clean, efficient energy.”

For Ellison, philanthropy is a deeply personal project. He doesn’t like working in groups—preferring to independently shape the future according to his beliefs and vision.

Conclusion: The Old Guard in a New Era

At 81, Larry Ellison has finally achieved what may have been his greatest ambition—the throne of the world’s richest man. His journey from poverty, through dropped studies, freelance work, building a database empire, to realizing his AI infrastructure vision is a saga worthy of great cinema.

Ellison embodies what might seem like a contradictory nature today: luxury and self-discipline, adventure and strategy, rebellion and determination. The throne of the world’s wealthiest may soon change hands—such are the laws of the market—but in this moment, as artificial intelligence transforms everything, Ellison has proven something important: the legends of the old guard can be reborn in new times. Ellison’s empire, stretching from Oracle to Hollywood, from Silicon Valley to the White House, stands as a testament to the power of vision, persistence, and the ability to see the future before it becomes visible to all.