Larry Ellison at 81 years old: the billionaire challenging time and conquering the throne of AI

September 10, 2025, marks a historic date in the global wealth landscape. Larry Ellison, at age 81, officially became the world’s richest man, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. With a net worth surpassing $393 billion in a single day, he overtook Elon Musk, who is at $385 billion. What makes this story even more extraordinary is not just the astronomical number, but the fact that Ellison achieved this milestone at an age when many would have already given up the competitive fight. How is it possible for a man abandoned by his biological parents at 19 to become the top of global wealth?

From orphan to magnate: the fascinating journey to Silicon Valley

Larry Ellison’s story begins with total lack. Born in 1944 in the Bronx, New York, to a 19-year-old single mother, he was entrusted to his aunt in Chicago when he was just nine months old. His adoptive father was a government employee with very limited resources. Although admitted to the University of Illinois, he dropped out during his second year after his adoptive mother died. He later enrolled at the University of Chicago but stayed only one semester before leaving again.

This series of college interruptions might seem like the prelude to failure, but for Ellison, it was an opportunity for personal discovery. In subsequent years, he moved to Berkeley, California, attracted by what he described as an atmosphere where “people seemed freer and smarter.” Here, in the heart of American tech counterculture, Ellison began working as a freelance programmer, an experience that would prepare him for the greatest adventure of his life.

The secret project that changed everything: when Ellison met the future

The decisive opportunity came in the early 1970s, when Ellison found employment at Ampex Corporation, a company specializing in audio-video storage and data processing. There, he participated in a crucial project for the CIA: designing an efficient database system for data management and retrieval, with the code name “Oracle.” This experience taught him a fundamental lesson that would guide his entire career: understanding the commercial value of technology before the market realized it.

In 1977, at just 32, Ellison, along with colleagues Bob Miner and Ed Oates, founded Software Development Laboratories (SDL) with an initial investment of $2,000, of which $1,200 came from his own pocket. The most important decision was to develop a universal commercial database system based on those early experiences, naming it directly “Oracle.” By 1986, Oracle reached Nasdaq, becoming a rising star in the enterprise software market. Ellison had made his main bet: he didn’t invent database technology, but he was among the first to recognize its commercial potential and to have the courage to invest everything to conquer the market.

Oracle and AI: when Larry Ellison wins the biggest bet

For four decades, Oracle experienced both triumphs and difficulties. The company remained a leader in the database market, but during the rise of cloud computing, it showed some sluggishness compared to rivals like Amazon AWS and Microsoft Azure. However, Ellison refused to let his creation fade into mediocrity. In 2014, he stepped down as CEO but remained executive chairman and CTO, positions from which he could continue guiding overall strategy.

The real turning point came in 2025. In September, Oracle announced four major contracts in the most recent quarter, totaling hundreds of billions of dollars, including a five-year collaboration worth $300 billion with OpenAI. The market reaction was explosive: share prices soared over 40% in a single day, the largest daily increase since 1992. This transformation was no accident. In summer 2025, Oracle implemented a radical reorganization, cutting back traditional hardware divisions and legacy software solutions, while massively increasing investments in data centers and AI infrastructure.

What competitors had underestimated, Ellison always understood: Oracle’s competitive advantage lay in its deep knowledge of databases and enterprise data management. In an era where generative AI requires enormous volumes of processed data, this core competence became an unbeatable advantage. Oracle, once a “legacy software company,” suddenly became one of the main infrastructure providers in the new AI era. Perhaps the most fitting description is this: Oracle finally got its “late ticket,” transforming from an outsider in cloud computing to a recognized leader in the AI age.

Wealth is more than just numbers: impact on family and politics

Ellison’s fortune is not confined to himself but extends to a dynastic level. His son David Ellison recently acquired control of Paramount Global, the parent company of CBS and MTV, for $8 billion, of which $6 billion came from the Ellison family funds. This move marks the family’s entry into Hollywood entertainment: the father dominates Silicon Valley with technology, the son the film industry with media. Two generations are building an empire that spans technology and entertainment.

On the political front, Ellison is a consistently present and influential figure. He has long supported the Republican Party, demonstrating himself as a major campaign donor. In 2015, he funded Marco Rubio’s presidential campaign; in 2022, he donated $15 million to South Carolina Senator Tim Scott’s Super PAC. In January 2025, he appeared at the White House alongside SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to announce a $500 billion AI data center network project. Oracle’s technology would be central to this infrastructure, representing both a strategic commercial move and an extension of his geopolitical influence.

Discipline, passion, love: the secrets of eternal youth

Ellison embodies seemingly contradictory qualities: luxury and discipline, adventure and rigor. He owns 98% of the Hawaiian island of Lanai, dozens of luxury villas in California, and some of the world’s most exclusive yachts. His passion for water and wind is almost primordial. After nearly dying in a surfing accident in 1992, instead of giving up this adrenaline source, he intensified his sailing dedication. In 2013, his Oracle Team USA achieved a historic feat by winning the America’s Cup, one of the greatest comebacks in sailing history. In 2018, he founded SailGP, a high-speed catamaran league that now attracts investors like Anne Hathaway and football star Kylian Mbappé.

Tennis is another of his passions. He revitalized the Indian Wells tournament in California, now considered the “fifth Slam” in the global tennis circuit. But sport for Ellison is not just a rich man’s hobby: it’s the foundation of his extraordinary energy. According to a Quora testimony from a former startup executive of Ellison, in the 1990s and 2000s, he trained for hours daily, rarely drank sugary beverages (only water and green tea), and followed a strictly disciplined diet. The result is that at 81, he appears incredibly energetic, described as “twenty years younger than his peers.” This is not artificial beauty but the result of obsessive dedication to personal well-being.

In 2024, Ellison surprised everyone by quietly marrying Jolin Zhu, a Chinese woman 47 years his junior. The news emerged from a Michigan University communication mentioning a donation from “Larry Ellison and his wife Jolin.” According to South China Morning Post, Jolin was born in Shenyang, China, and graduated from the University of Michigan. Some observers joked that Ellison loves surfing as much as love, and that for him, waves and romantic relationships seem equally irresistible.

The legacy shaping the future: philanthropy according to Ellison

In 2010, Ellison signed the “Giving Pledge,” publicly committing to donate at least 95% of his wealth during his lifetime or after death. However, unlike Bill Gates or Warren Buffett, he rarely participates in collective philanthropic initiatives. In an interview with the New York Times, he stated he “deeply values solitude and does not wish to be influenced by others’ visions.”

His philanthropic strategy is remarkably personalized. In 2016, he donated $200 million to the University of Southern California to establish a cancer research center. Recently, he announced that a significant portion of his wealth would go to the Ellison Institute of Technology, a facility founded in collaboration with Oxford University dedicated to research in medicine, sustainable agriculture, and clean energy. On social media, he wrote: “We want to design a new generation of life-saving drugs, build efficient and low-cost agricultural systems, develop clean and efficient energies.”

Ellison’s philanthropic style fully reflects his personality: he does not like to join collective movements, preferring to design the future independently according to his personal vision. His philanthropy is not conformist but driven by the logic of a man who has always done things his way.

Conclusion: the old rebel of Silicon Valley

At 81, Larry Ellison has finally ascended to the throne of the world’s richest man. A man who started from nothing, who read the secret code of revolutionary technology before anyone else, who maintained his vision through decades of technological evolution, and who, with extraordinary intelligence, positioned his creation at the heart of the AI revolution.

His life is a story of how stubbornness, personal discipline, sharp business instinct, and rejection of compromises can turn an abandoned orphan into a global titan. While the world debates whether his reign will last long, one thing is certain: in an era where AI is reshaping all sectors, the legend of old tech giants like Ellison is far from over. It’s only in a new chapter.