Jak Ellison at 81 dethroned Musk: A story of technological renaissance

March 2026 brought shocking news from the financial markets. As Oracle’s stock price surged sharply, Larry Ellison’s wealth indicator reached $393 billion—officially making him the richest person in the world. For the 81-year-old who decided to invest in artificial intelligence infrastructure while other tech giants were retreating, it was a victory written into history once again. Elon Musk, long the leader in billionaire rankings, was several billion dollars lower at that time. Ellison’s story is not just about money—it’s a testament to the ability to see opportunities that others do not believe in.

From Humble Origins to Building a Tech Empire

Ellison had little to share about his childhood. Born in 1944 in a poor neighborhood in New York City, abandoned by his mother at six months old, he was placed in the care of his aunt in Chicago. His foster father worked as an office clerk—his salary barely covered living expenses. Young Ellison, however, showed technological curiosity and ambition. He enrolled at the University of Illinois, but after his foster mother died, he dropped out. Another attempt at the University of Chicago also failed—one semester and done.

Instead of giving up, Ellison set out on a quest. He worked as a programmer in Chicago, then moved around until he arrived in Berkeley, California—then the epicenter of technological renaissance and counterculture. It was there, at Ampex Corporation in the early 1970s, that he faced a breakthrough. Working on a project for the CIA—a database management system codenamed “Oracle”—Ellison gained skills that would change his life forever.

In 1977, at age 32, Ellison co-founded Software Development Laboratories with Bob Miner and Ed Oates with just $2,000 in capital. Their overwhelming idea? Commercializing the relational database model, which until then had been mainly academic. The new company’s name—Oracle—directly references those days working for intelligence agencies.

Ellison and His Firm Stance in the World of Enterprise Software

Over forty years, Oracle evolved from a small startup into one of the world’s largest providers of IT infrastructure. Ellison is not the inventor of the technology—yet he is the one who saw the business potential where others saw only technical abstraction. He has held nearly every executive role at Oracle: CEO from 1978 to 1996, chairman of the board, CEO—always remaining the heart of the company.

The company experienced ups and downs. During the shift to cloud computing, Oracle seemed to slow down. Amazon AWS and Microsoft Azure took market share. But Ellison saw an opportunity others overlooked. As the world began discussing the future of generative AI, Oracle—with its untapped database and relationships with thousands of corporations—secured a strategic position. In 2025, Oracle announced a $300 billion contract with OpenAI over five years. The stock price jumped over 40% in a single day—the biggest surge since 1992.

Ellison as Architect of a Modern Empire: From Technology to Media

Ellison’s wealth is not just his personal legacy. His son, David Ellison, positioning himself as an ambitious businessman, acquired Paramount Global for $8 billion—$6 billion of which came from the Ellison family funds. This transaction ushered in a new era: the family reaching directly into Hollywood, blending technology with the entertainment industry.

In politics, Ellison is also active. He supports the Republican Party, backing presidential campaigns—in 2015, Marco Rubio; in 2022, Tim Scott’s Senate bid. In 2025, he appeared at the White House alongside Masayoshi Son and Sam Altman, announcing a $500 billion investment in AI data centers. It’s not just business—it’s expanding influence.

Ellison—Athlete, Ascetic, Eternal Adventurer

Behind wealth and power lies a disciplined individual. In the 1990s and early 2000s, Ellison spent hours daily on physical exercise. His diet—only water and green tea—strictly controlled. The result? At 81, people describe him as looking twenty years younger than his peers.

But behind discipline is an untamed spirit. Ellison owns 98% of Lanai Island in Hawaii. His sports passions include challenging nature: surfing (in 1992, he barely survived an accident but didn’t give up), sailing (in 2013, he supported Oracle Team USA’s spectacular comeback in the America’s Cup races), and tennis. He revitalized the Indian Wells tournament in California, now considered the fifth Grand Slam.

In 2024, Ellison quietly married 44-year-old Jolin Zhu, a Chinese businesswoman. It’s his fifth marriage. Internet jokes say: for Ellison, both ocean waves and love have always been irresistible.

Ellison and His Vision of Uncompromising Philanthropy

In 2010, Ellison signed the Giving Pledge—committing to donate at least 95% of his wealth to charity. Unlike Bill Gates or Warren Buffett, Ellison rarely participates in collective initiatives. “I value solitude and don’t want to be influenced by others’ ideas,” he says.

In 2016, he donated $200 million to the University of Southern California for a cancer research center. Recently, he announced a partnership with Oxford University on the Ellison Institute of Technology, focusing on medicine, food, and climate. His philanthropy is personal—he dislikes working in groups, preferring to design the future independently according to his beliefs.

Conclusion: Ellison and His Testament to the Tech Era

At 81, Ellison has achieved what many consider impossible: he’s back at the center of the economy. From an abandoned boy in the Bronx, to Oracle founder, to architect of AI infrastructure—his trajectory spans seven decades of technological transformation.

His throne as the world’s richest person may be temporary. But what Ellison has demonstrated remains unwavering: in an era where technology changes everything, legends of greatness can be written not by tomorrow’s visionaries, but by the old guard who never stopped reinventing themselves. Ellison is proof that being rebellious, stubborn, and unyielding are resources that never go out of date.