Lawrence Joseph Ellison, also known as Larry Ellison, is an American businessman who played a key role in founding and leading Oracle Corporation.
As CEO of the company from 1977 to 2014, he was responsible for shaping the company’s growth and success. He currently serves as chief technology officer and executive chairman at Oracle.
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- Full name: Lawrence Joseph Ellison
- Stage Name: Larry Ellison
- Date of birth: August 17, 1944
- Age: 79 years old
- Place of birth: New York City, USA
- Nationality: American
- Occupation: American businessman and entrepreneur
- Height: 1.91 m
- Parents: Florence Spellman and Louis Ellison
- Siblings: Unknown
- Spouse: Melanie Craft (married 2003–2010), Barbara Boothe (married 1983–1986), Nancy Wheeler Jenkins (married 1977–1978), Adda Quinn (married 1967–1974)
- Children: David Ellison and Megan Ellison
- Relationship: Divorced
- Net worth: $146 billion
Early life and education
Lawrence Joseph Ellison, also known as Larry Ellison, was born on August 17, 1944, in New York City, United States. He was raised by his parents Florence Spellman and Louis Ellison, and grew up with his siblings, although their names were not known to the media.
Ellison attended South Shore High School in Chicago and then enrolled at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he was enrolled as a pre-med student. However, he dropped out after his sophomore year when his adoptive mother died.
He then briefly attended the University of Chicago, where he studied physics, mathematics, and was introduced to computer design.
Career
Lawrence Joseph Ellison is best known as the co-founder of software giant Oracle in the 1970s. However, his career was not limited to Oracle.
Ellison’s early career included working as a programmer for various companies and developing a CIA database project called “Oracle”. In 1977, he co-founded Software Development Labs (SDL), which later became the successful Oracle Corporation.
As CEO of Oracle for 37 years, from 1977 to 2014, Ellison led the company to become a major player in the software industry through strategic acquisitions and cutting-edge technological advances.
Although he stepped down as CEO in 2014, Lawrence Joseph Ellison continued to play a key role in shaping Oracle’s direction, serving as CTO and executive chairman. During this time, he also pursued other projects, such as the acquisition of a large portion of the Hawaiian island of Lanai.
Ellison’s leadership has contributed to Oracle’s aggressive acquisitions and focus on technological innovation, making him a prominent figure in the technology industry.
Awards and nominations
- Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement (1997)
- Inducted into the Bay Area Business Hall of Fame (2013)
- Rebels With A Cause Award from the Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Translational Medicine at USC (2019)
- Named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine (2024)
Social media
- Instagram Name: @larryellison
- Twitter Username: @larryellison
Personal life
Lawrence Joseph Ellison has been married and divorced four times. His first marriage was to Adda Quinn from 1967 to 1974. He then married Nancy Wheeler Jenkins in 1977, but their marriage only lasted a year.
In 1983, he married Barbara Boothe and they had two children, David and Megan Ellison, both of whom are successful film producers.
Unfortunately, they divorced in 1986. Ellison’s fourth and final marriage was to Melanie Craft, which lasted from 2003 to 2010.
Aside from his marriages, Ellison is also known for his love of yachts and sailing, having won the America’s Cup in 2010. In 2012, he made headlines when he purchased almost the entire Hawaiian island of Lanai.
Net worth
Lawrence Joseph Ellison, also known as Larry Ellison, is a billionaire businessman who became a billionaire at a very young age.
He is best known as the co-founder and former CEO of Oracle Corporation, a multinational computer technology company. Ellison has a net worth of approximately $146 billion, making him one of the richest people in the world.
