Elon Musk’s Thoughts on Larry Ellison

When asked who the smartest person he knows is, Elon Musk quickly named Larry Ellison. “Larry Ellison is very smart. I think he’s one of the smartest people,” he said.

This week, Ellison claimed the title of the richest individual Musk has encountered. He briefly surpassed Musk to take the top spot on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

On Wednesday, the Oracle chairman saw his wealth surge to $100 billion, achieving the biggest daily gain recorded and reaching a total of $382 billion, momentarily outpacing Musk.

By the end of that day, however, Musk managed to regain some ground, though only by a few billion.

Reportedly, when Ellison reclaimed his wealth status, he ticked off a goal he had been waiting nearly half a century to achieve—earnest recognition from Silicon Valley.

“He’s been waiting for this moment for almost 50 years,” a source mentioned, highlighting the lack of acknowledgment Oracle has traditionally received.

People are saying that the now 81-year-old Ellison seems to be embracing this newfound recognition with some humor.

“He’s likely to make a friendly jest about being the richest in the world,” Julian Guthrie mused, who spent a year interviewing Ellison for her book, The Billionaire and the Mechanic.

Guthrie also pointed out, “Larry is quite different from the caricature people have of him. He’s reflective, self-deprecating, always curious, and a voracious reader.”

His interests span a wide array, including music, sports, material science, and surprisingly, Japanese pottery. Ellison is particularly passionate about Japanese culture, boasting an extensive collection of Japanese art that spans at least a century.

His love for Japan is reflected in his 23-acre estate in Woodside, California, designed to evoke a Kyoto retreat with features such as a private lake, a tea house, and a koi pond. He reportedly invested $2 million into renovations.

In addition to this estate, Ellison owns a villa located in Kyoto, Japan, nestled within a Zen Buddhist temple grounds.

On a more personal note, Ellison, currently married to his fifth wife, Jolin Zou—who is 34 and 47 years younger than him—has shared some insights into what matters most. “It’s about family and your immediate circle,” Guthrie noted.

Ellison’s children, David and Megan from his previous marriage to Barbara Booth, are carving their own paths in Hollywood. David serves as the CEO and chairman of Paramount and Skydance, while Megan has produced noteworthy films like American Hustle and The Phantom Thread.

The remarkable increase in Ellison’s wealth was attributed to a recent announcement that Sam Altman’s company slashed a $300 billion contract to build a data center focused on AI innovation.

“Data centers are massive revenue drivers,” explained Gary Rivlin, an author familiar with the landscape, emphasizing Oracle’s aggressive positioning in this sector.

Those who follow Ellison closely see him as a savvy investor willing to explore new ventures with his financial windfall.

He controls an impressive portfolio of over 12 homes, which includes a $173 million property in Manalapan, New Jersey, along with residences in San Francisco, Woodside, and various locations in Japan.

Among his luxurious possessions, his 288-foot yacht named Musashi stands out. Designed in minimalist Japanese style, this $160 million vessel includes various amenities, from a gym and spa to a basketball court operating under the watchful eye of a crew of 23.

The yacht even features a unique strategy for retrieving basketballs that accidentally go overboard—a team is designated to chase them down, a move reminiscent of the exaggerated tech CEO in the HBO show Silicon Valley, who some believe is based on Ellison.

Ellison is well-acquainted with the realms of privilege that come with his wealth. He was born in the Bronx and raised in Chicago, and despite dropping out of both the University of Illinois and the University of Chicago, he excelled in physics.

His journey in tech began as he took on various programming jobs before co-founding Oracle in 1977, developing database technology that would change the industry.

As Oracle rose to become a leading database provider, Ellison’s wealth multiplied. Forbes listed him as the sixth richest man in America in 2010, with a net worth surpassing $28 billion.

Reflecting on Ellison’s journey, Rivlin noted, “He envisioned a world where databases would play a crucial role.” Throughout his life, he has exceeded his own expectations. He’s a licensed pilot and even made an appearance in Iron Man 2.

Ellison’s ties with high-profile figures extend to visits to the White House under Trump’s administration, a relationship Trump remarked on, calling him a representative of all CEOs.

What’s next for Ellison? “He’s not finished yet,” Rivlin believes, pointing to his funding of aging research, indicating that he’s right in the heart of the Silicon Valley wave.