Larry Ellison
Oracle Corporation Founder, World's Third Richest Person
The Samurai Leo Billionaire
Larry Ellison is the world’s third richest person and possibly the most aggressively Leo billionaire alive. He raced sailboats in the America’s Cup. He bought the Hawaiian island of Lanai. He models himself on Japanese samurai culture. He built Oracle from a contract programming company into the world’s second-largest software company. He has outlasted every tech rival through sheer ferocity.
Leo Legacy
- Oracle Corporation: Founded 1977 — second largest software company in the world
- America’s Cup: Won in 2010 and 2013 — Oracle Team USA
- Lanai island: Bought 98% of Hawaiian island of Lanai for $500 million
- Tesla board: Early Tesla investor and board member alongside Elon Musk
Ellison’s Leo excess is the point — he competes in everything at the same intensity level.
“When you innovate, you’ve got to be prepared for people to tell you that you are nuts.”