81-year-old Larry Ellison: How a rebellious programmer became the architect of a global IT empire

In September 2025, the world watched as Larry Ellison, the founder of Oracle Corporation, overtook the long-held wealthiest position previously held by Elon Musk. In a single day, Ellison’s fortune increased by over $100 billion, reaching $393 billion — the highest among people on the planet. This surprising turn in the global hierarchy of wealth reflects not only a successful business deal but also the unique life philosophy of the 81-year-old entrepreneur, who has been shaping digital paradigms for four decades.

Larry Ellison’s story is about how a person can emerge from deep nihilism to become a driving force in a billion-dollar industry. Let’s explore the path that led him from an abandoned childhood to leading one of the most powerful corporations of modern times.

From Orphanhood to First Success: How Ellison Found His Calling

Larry Ellison was born in 1944 in the Bronx, New York, into a family marked from the start by instability. His 19-year-old unmarried mother was only able to leave him in the care of his aunt in Chicago. His childhood, characterized by modesty and feelings of abandonment, shaped his later ambitions. He was raised by foster parents—public servants who provided not comfort but only the essentials.

During university years, he tried to meet social expectations. Ellison enrolled at the University of Illinois but dropped out after internal conflicts and the death of his foster mother. He later attempted Chicago University but only studied there for one semester. By then, 20-year-old Ellison understood that the academic system was not for him.

Instead, he moved to Berkeley, California — the heart of counterculture and technological innovation. There he learned about programming opportunities. Working at Ampex Corporation in the early 1970s became a turning point. The company developed data storage and processing systems. Ellison participated in a particularly significant project — creating a database system for the American intelligence agency (CIA). This contract gave him insight into the enormous commercial potential of data management technologies.

Birth of Oracle: How a 32-Year-Old Rebel Conquered the World of Databases

In 1977, Larry Ellison, along with two colleagues — Bob Miner and Ed Oates — founded Software Development Laboratories (SDL) with an initial capital of just $2,000 (Ellison contributed $1,200). Based on his CIA experience and the modern relational data model, they created a universal commercial system — Oracle. At the time, it was a revolutionary idea: the first widely accessible database capable of scaling for large enterprises.

Unlike academic researchers developing database theory, Ellison had a unique ability to foresee the commercial value of this technology. He didn’t invent the database but was the first to believe in its business potential and was willing to bet everything on it. This psychological insight determined the entire subsequent development.

The company grew rapidly. In 1986, Oracle went public on Nasdaq and became a star in the corporate software market. Ellison had a rebellious, ambitious temperament — he held nearly all executive positions. From 1978 to 1996, he served as president; from 1990 to 1992, as chairman of the board. His adventurous nature also had consequences: in 1992, he nearly died while surfing, but even this near-death experience didn’t slow him down. He returned to the company in 1995 and led it for another ten years.

Through Cloudy Skies: How Oracle Maintained Its Place Among Giants

Over forty years, Ellison observed the ups and downs of his corporation. At the dawn of the cloud computing era in the 2000s, it seemed Oracle lagged behind new players — Amazon AWS and Microsoft Azure. Critics predicted the decline of traditional database providers. However, Ellison had what many others lacked: a deep understanding of corporate needs and an instinct for what the market truly required.

This time, Oracle did not lose the race — it changed the game. The company remained a key supplier for the largest corporations, which still needed reliable, scalable solutions for managing critical data. In 2014, Ellison stepped down as CEO, passing the role to a younger colleague, but remained executive chairman and CTO — he didn’t leave the company, only shifted his vantage point to observe its evolution.

AI as the Second Turn: How the 81-Year-Old Tech Veteran Brought Oracle Back to the Top

Autumn 2025 brought the anticipated turnaround. Oracle announced four contracts worth hundreds of billions of dollars per quarter, including a five-year deal with OpenAI valued at about $300 billion. In a single trading day, the company’s shares surged 40% — the largest one-day increase since 1992. This was a moment of justice for the 81-year-old founder.

The reason for success is simple: the world desperately needs AI infrastructure. In 2025, Oracle invested billions in data centers and equipment, preparing for this shift. At the same time, the company cut several thousand employees, mainly from traditional departments, redirecting resources to new areas. Oracle, once criticized as outdated, transformed into one of the key providers of AI infrastructure. Following his usual tactic, Larry Ellison anticipated not what was happening yesterday but what will be needed tomorrow.

The Philosophy of Survival: How Self-Discipline and Relentlessness Define a Billionaire’s Fate

Unlike many other tech billionaires, Larry Ellison lives paradoxically. He owns 98% of Lana’i Island in Hawaii, several luxurious estates in California, and one of the world’s largest private yachts. Yet, he combines this luxury with strict self-discipline. Former managers say that in the 1990s and 2000s, Ellison trained for several hours daily. His diet is water and green tea — no sugary drinks. This lifestyle has allowed him to look nearly twenty years younger than his peers at 81.

For him, sports are not just entertainment but a philosophy. In 2013, his Oracle Team USA made an incredible comeback, winning the America’s Cup in sailing. He also founded the high-speed SailGP league, attracting prominent investors. Tennis is another passion; he revived the famous Indian Wells tournament, called the “fifth Grand Slam.” For him, sports are a way to maintain a balance between powerful mental activity and physical activity.

In his personal life, Ellison has been married four times — a topic that often attracts public interest. In 2024, he married Jolin Zhu, a Chinese woman 47 years his junior. The news caused a huge buzz. Social media users joked that Ellison falls in love as actively as he surfs — with equal dedication and fearlessness.

Empire Over the Ocean: How the Ellison Family Expands Its Power

Larry Ellison’s wealth has long gone beyond personal happiness. His son David Ellison acquired Paramount Global — the parent company of CBS and MTV — for $8 billion, with $6 billion provided by the family. This move brought them into Hollywood. The father rules Silicon Valley’s tech, while the son controls the media space — together building an ancient expanded empire.

On the political front, Larry Ellison is also an active player. He has long supported the Republican Party and is a significant donor to political campaigns. In 2015, he funded Marco Rubio’s presidential ambitions; in 2022, he donated $15 million to the Senate super PAC of TIm Scott. Recently, along with Masayoshi Son (CEO of SoftBank) and Sam Altman (CEO of OpenAI), he announced a joint project to build a network of AI data centers worth $500 billion — not just business but an expansion of influence into a new era.

Nobility as Choice: How the Billionaire Plans to Use His Wealth

In 2010, Larry Ellison signed “The Giving Pledge,” promising to give away at least 95% of his wealth. Unlike Bill Gates or Warren Buffett, he does not pursue collective initiatives. In an interview with The New York Times, he emphasized: “I value solitude and don’t want my ideas influenced by others.” His philanthropy is highly personal.

In 2016, he donated $200 million to the University of Southern California for cancer research. Recently, he announced the Ellison Institute of Technology, a joint project with Oxford University focused on medicine, nutrition, and climate change. In his statement, he wrote: “We need to develop a new generation of medicines, create affordable agricultural systems, and develop efficient clean energy.” Ellison’s philanthropy is not just noble for peace of mind but a way to realize his vision of shaping the future.

An Unfinished Legend: How 81-Year-Old Larry Ellison Proved That Old Titans Are Still Alive

Larry Ellison finally reached the top of the global wealth ranking at age 81. His journey began with a CIA contract, moved through creating a global database, and led him to a key position in the world of artificial intelligence. He didn’t invent the technology — he foresaw its value and was stubborn enough to bet everything on it.

Wealth, power, sports, adventures, and charity — his life has never been quiet or predictable. He remains who he has always been: a Silicon Valley rebel who dared to go forward when others hesitated. The pressure from the world’s richest may again change — such rankings are volatile. But Larry Ellison has already proven: in an era where artificial intelligence rewrites the rules of the game, the old tech titans are far from finished. They are simply waiting for their next act on the world stage.