From databases to AI: Larry Ellison's wife and the 81-year-old tech empire that changed the game

A Breakthrough Moment: When the Oldest Billionaire Overtook Musk

In September 2025, the financial market trembled. Larry Ellison, the 81-year-old founder of Oracle, unexpectedly moved to the top of the list of the world’s wealthiest people, reaching an estimated net worth of $393 billion. Elon Musk was right behind him with $385 billion. The breakthrough occurred in just one day – Ellison’s wealth increased by over $100 billion. The decisive factor was the announced Oracle deal with OpenAI worth $300 billion over five years, which caused the company’s stock price to rise by over 40% – the largest single-day jump since 1992.

From the Bottom: Orphan Who Built an Imperial Corporation

Ellison’s story is a classic tale of the American dream’s transformation. Born in the Bronx in 1944 as the illegitimate son of a 19-year-old girl, he was abandoned at nine months old and placed under the care of various family members. His foster father was a regular public administration worker – the family lived modestly.

Education was not his strong suit. Although he was admitted to the University of Illinois, he dropped out in his second year after the death of his foster mother. His next attempt at the University of Chicago also ended in failure – he lasted only one semester. Ellison did not fit into the traditional education system.

After leaving university, he wandered across America for years, taking on various jobs as a programmer. The turning point came when he moved to California – a place where, as he recalled, “people seemed slower and wiser.” At Ampex Corporation in the early seventies, he worked on a key project for the CIA – a data management system codenamed “Oracle.” It was there that he discovered his mission.

In 1977, together with Bob Miner and Ed Oates, he founded Software Development Laboratories, investing a total of $2,000. The company’s name directly derives from the CIA project – Oracle. This decision was pivotal. Ellison did not invent databases, but he saw their commercial potential years ahead of the competition.

Forty Years of Domination: From Tradition to Transformation

Over four decades, Ellison held virtually every important position at Oracle – CEO, chairman, CTO. His relentless ambition and rebellious character shaped the company’s strategy. Even in 1992, after a near-fatal surfing accident, he did not change his style – he returned to the company and led it through another decade.

Oracle became a global leader in the database market, although during the initial cloud transformation phase – when Amazon AWS and Microsoft Azure dominated – the company seemed disappointing. However, thanks to deep relationships with corporate clients and technological foundations, Oracle maintained a strategic position.

AI as the New Front: Rebounding from the Bottom through Generative Artificial Intelligence

In the last months of 2025, Oracle made a spectacular turnaround. In summer, it announced massive layoffs in traditional hardware and software divisions, while heavily investing in AI infrastructure. The deal with OpenAI signaled a new role – Oracle became a key provider of infrastructure for the era of generative AI.

The market reacted enthusiastically. Industry comments praised Oracle’s shift from a “traditional software producer” to a “dark horse of AI infrastructure.” It was a “delayed victory” for the old tech guard – Oracle found its niche in the new era.

Dynasty Expansion: Technology Meets Hollywood

Ellison’s empire extends far beyond technology itself. His son David Ellison took over Paramount Global – owner of CBS and MTV – for $8 billion, of which $6 billion came from family funds. The family’s influence shifted from Silicon Valley to Hollywood. Father in tech, son in media – together they are building an empire encompassing all layers of the entertainment and digital industries.

On the political stage, Ellison also plays a significant role. He has been supporting the Republican Party for years as a well-known donor. In 2015, he supported Marco Rubio’s campaign, and in 2022, he donated $15 million to Senator Tim Scott’s super PAC. In January of this year, he appeared at the White House with the CEOs of SoftBank and OpenAI, announcing a planned development of AI infrastructure worth $500 billion.

The Rebel’s Life: From Water to Marriages – Larry Ellison and His Wife

Ellison lives in contradiction – luxury and strict discipline. He owns 98% of the Hawaiian island of Lanai, exclusive residences in California, and some of the most magnificent yachts in the world. He has an obsession with water and wind.

Sports are the secret to his youthful appearance at 81. For decades, he spent hours daily training, drank only water and green tea, and consumed very few sweets. Commentators say he looks twenty years younger than his peers.

Sailing has become his great passion – he supported Oracle Team USA in a spectacular comeback in the 2013 America’s Cup regattas. In 2018, he founded the SailGP league of fast catamarans, attracting stars like Anne Hathaway and Mbappé. Tennis is another obsession – he revitalized the Indian Wells tournament, now known as the “fifth Grand Slam.”

In his personal life, Ellison has had four marriages. In 2024, he married Jolin Zhu in surprising circumstances, a Chinese woman 47 years younger than him. The information came to light through documents from the University of Michigan, which mentioned “Larry Ellison and his wife Jolin” as donors. Jolin Zhu is from Shenyang and graduated from the University of Michigan. This news again made his personal life a subject of public discussion. Internet users joke that Larry Ellison’s wife changes as quickly as weather conditions – one thing is certain, his passion for new challenges never runs out.

Philanthropic Goals: Technology for the Future

In 2010, Ellison signed the “Giving Pledge,” committing to donate at least 95% of his wealth to charity. However, unlike Gates or Buffett, he prefers independent projects over collective initiatives. In an interview with the New York Times, he said: “I value solitude and don’t want to be influenced by others’ opinions.”

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 to create the Ellison Institute of Technology, focusing on medicine, food security, and clean energy technologies. His philanthropic approach has a distinctive personal character – he wants to design the future himself according to his beliefs.

Verdict: The Legend Continues to Write History

Larry Ellison reached the peak at age 81. From the CIA project to a global database empire, from a cloud computing failure to a strategic victory in the AI era – his journey is a series of dramatic turns and triumphs. The oldest guard of Silicon Valley still shows that Innovation has no age.

His life – full of marriages, sports challenges, political influence, and philanthropic ambitions – remains an unpredictable spectacle. The throne of the world’s richest man may change, but for now, Ellison has proven: in a world transformed by artificial intelligence, the old fisherman from Silicon Valley is not gone yet.