Larry Ellison

Biography

Ellison co-founded the company that became Oracle in 1977, betting early that relational databases would run the world's businesses. He led Oracle as CEO until 2014 and remains its CTO and executive chairman. Outside software he bought most of the Hawaiian island of Lanai in 2012 and backed Oracle Team USA to two America's Cup wins.

American entrepreneur who co-founded Oracle in 1977 and turned the relational database into one of the foundational technologies of modern business.

Known for

Co-founding Oracle and building it into an enterprise software giant.

Notable works & defining projects

• Oracle Database
• Oracle Cloud Infrastructure
• Oracle Team USA (America's Cup)

Notable achievements

• Co-founded Oracle (1977); its database became an enterprise standard
• Bought 98% of the Hawaiian island of Lanai in 2012
• Backed Oracle Team USA's America's Cup victories in 2010 and 2013

Timeline

1. 1977Co-founded the company that became Oracle Corporation
2. 1986Took Oracle public
3. 2014Stepped down as Oracle CEO, remaining CTO and executive chairman

Did you know?

• Adopted at nine months old, he was raised on Chicago's South Side
• He dropped out of two universities before moving to California and teaching himself programming