Larry Ellison – Net Worth, Oracle Career and Personal Life 2025

Larry Ellison, the co-founder of Oracle Corporation, is one of the most consequential figures in the history of enterprise technology. Born in the Bronx in 1944, he rose from a modest upbringing in Chicago to build a company that revolutionized database management and cloud computing. As of 2025, his estimated net worth places him among the wealthiest individuals on the planet, though the precise figure fluctuates with Oracle’s stock performance and varies between major financial publications.

Ellison’s life story includes elements of adversity, ambition, and reinvention. He was adopted as an infant, dropped out of college twice, and began his career as a programmer in Silicon Valley with little more than technical talent and determination. Decades later, he controls roughly 40% of a global software powerhouse, owns most of a Hawaiian island, and continues to shape Oracle’s technological direction as executive chairman and chief technology officer.

This article provides a comprehensive, fact-based overview of Ellison’s net worth, personal life, business career, and the key milestones that define his legacy. It draws on biographies, corporate records, and financial reporting to present a clear portrait of the man behind the empire.

What is Larry Ellison’s net worth?

Larry Ellison’s net worth is not a fixed number. It changes regularly based on Oracle’s stock price, which has been heavily influenced by the company’s expansion into artificial intelligence and cloud services. Different sources also arrive at different estimates depending on their methodology and timing.

• Larry Ellison co-founded Oracle in 1977 and grew it into one of the world’s largest software companies.
• He owns roughly 40% of Oracle, making his net worth highly correlated with the company’s stock.
• Ellison has been married four times and has two children.
• Despite his massive wealth, he remains actively involved in Oracle’s technology strategy as CTO.
• His early life was marked by adoption and a modest upbringing in Chicago.

In September 2025, Forbes estimated his net worth at $369.1 billion, while Britannica noted that Bloomberg placed it at $383 billion during the same period, when he briefly became the world’s richest person. By early 2026, Forbes had revised the figure to roughly $201–203 billion, ranking him as the sixth-wealthiest person globally. The primary driver of this fluctuation is Oracle’s stock market performance, which has been buoyed by AI technology advancements.

Who is Larry Ellison’s spouse?

How many times has Larry Ellison been married?

Larry Ellison has been married six times. His first marriage was to Adda Quinn, which lasted from 1967 to 1974. He then married Nancy Jenkins around 1977, though that union was brief. In 1983 he married Barbara Boothe, with whom he had two children; they divorced in 1986. His fourth marriage was to novelist Melanie Craft, lasting from 2003 to 2010. More recently, he married Jolin Zhu, with the relationship beginning around 2023. Wikipedia notes that his current marital status is listed as “In a Relationship.”

Does Larry Ellison have children?

Reports on the number of Ellison’s children vary. Forbes lists four children, while Wikipedia indicates six. What is publicly known is that he has a son named David, who founded Skydance Productions, and a daughter named Megan. David Ellison has become a prominent figure in the media industry, particularly after Skydance merged with Paramount Global in a deal valued at nearly $28 billion. Larry Ellison holds close to 50% ownership in the resulting conglomerate, Paramount Skydance.

How did Larry Ellison start Oracle?

What was Larry Ellison’s role in founding the company?

In 1977, Ellison and two former colleagues from the electronics company Ampex—Bob Miner and Ed Oates—founded Software Development Laboratories (SDL) with a modest investment of $2,000. Ellison contributed $1,200 of that sum. The company was built around a concept that Ellison had read about in a research paper: the relational database. SDL later evolved into Oracle Systems Corporation, and the team developed the first commercially available relational database using Structured Query Language (SQL). EBSCO describes this as a pivotal moment that transformed enterprise data management.

When was Oracle founded and what is Ellison’s current position?

Oracle was effectively founded in 1977 under the name SDL. The company went public in 1986. Ellison served as its CEO from the founding until 2014, and also held the role of President from 1978 to 1996. Today, he serves as Oracle’s Executive Chairman and Chief Technology Officer (CTO), holding approximately a 41% stake in the company. According to the Oracle Executive Biography, he remains deeply involved in the company’s technology direction, particularly in cloud infrastructure and AI.

How old is Larry Ellison?

When was Larry Ellison born?

Larry Ellison was born on August 17, 1944, in the Bronx, New York City. As of 2025, he is 81 years old. His birth mother, Florence Spellman, was a single woman who gave him up for adoption when he was nine months old. He was adopted by his aunt and uncle, Louis and Lillian Ellison, and raised in Chicago, Illinois.

Is Larry Ellison still active in business?

Yes, Ellison remains actively engaged in Oracle’s operations and strategy. In his roles as Executive Chairman and CTO, he oversees the company’s technology roadmap. Achievement.org notes that his focus has shifted toward cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and healthcare technology. He also manages his personal wealth through his family office, Lawrence Investments, LLC, established in 1977.

Beyond Oracle, Ellison has pursued a range of other ventures. He served on Tesla’s board from 2018 to 2022, participated in Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter, and founded a yachting team that won the America’s Cup in 2010. In 2012 he purchased 98% of the Hawaiian island of Lanai for $300 million and relocated there permanently in 2020, describing it as a “laboratory for sustainability.”

What are the key milestones in Larry Ellison’s life and career?

1. 1944: Born in New York City, adopted by the Ellison family in Chicago.
2. 1960s: Attended the University of Illinois and the University of Chicago; dropped out without completing a degree.
3. 1977: Co-founded Software Development Laboratories (later Oracle) with Bob Miner and Ed Oates.
4. 1986: Oracle went public in an initial public offering.
5. 1990: Oracle nearly collapsed due to accounting irregularities; Ellison restructured the company.
6. 2014: Ellison stepped down as CEO but remained as Executive Chairman and CTO.
7. 2020: Relocated permanently to Lanai, Hawaii, and increased investments in healthcare technology.
8. 2025: Financially backed Skydance Productions’ merger with Paramount Global; net worth briefly reached over $380 billion.

What is known and what remains uncertain about Larry Ellison?

What is Larry Ellison’s broader impact on technology and business?

Larry Ellison’s influence extends well beyond the database market. Oracle evolved from a relational database company into a comprehensive enterprise cloud provider, competing directly with Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud. Under Ellison’s technology leadership, Oracle has invested heavily in autonomous database systems, cloud infrastructure (OCI), and AI-driven applications. He has also pushed the company into healthcare technology, forming partnerships with hospitals and research institutions. His rivalry with other tech billionaires, including Bill Gates and Larry Page, is well documented, and his aggressive competitive style has shaped the culture of enterprise software for decades. Like the business empire built by Estée Lauder – Biography, Brand History and Products Guide, Ellison’s creation reflects the vision of a single determined founder.

What do official records and biographies say about Larry Ellison?

Larry Ellison is chairman, chief technology officer and cofounder of software giant Oracle, of which he owns roughly 40%.

— Forbes Profile (2026)

Larry Ellison is the executive chairman of Oracle Corporation and chief technology officer. He founded the company in 1977.

— Oracle Executive Biography

Lawrence Joseph Ellison (born August 17, 1944) is an American businessman.

— Wikipedia

What is the essential overview of Larry Ellison?

Larry Ellison is a self-made billionaire who transformed a $1,200 investment into one of the world’s most influential technology companies. From a difficult start in life—adopted, raised in modest circumstances, and a college dropout—he built Oracle into a database and cloud computing powerhouse. His personal life, including multiple marriages, vast real estate holdings on Lanai, and a relatively low-profile philanthropic approach, often draws as much attention as his business moves. In recent years, his focus on AI, cloud infrastructure, and healthcare technology has kept Oracle relevant in a rapidly shifting industry. For a look at another high-profile entrepreneur who built a lasting brand, see Paris Hilton – Net Worth, Husband, Son, and Business Empire 2025. Ellison remains one of the most influential and enduring figures in the technology sector.

Frequently asked questions about Larry Ellison