Larry Ellison

Larry Ellison - Founder of Oracle, Timeline and Family

Violet FieldHome › AmericanLarry EllisonAugust 17, 1944883 views

0 based on 0 rates
Larry Ellison Biography Stories 

Larry Ellison's Personal Details

Larry Ellison is the co-founder and chairman of Oracle Corporation

InformationDetail
BirthdayAugust 17, 1944
NationalityAmerican
FamousBillionaires, College Dropouts, Philanthropists, Poorly Educated, University Of Chicago, University Of Illinois, Business People, IT & Software Entrepreneurs, ESFP, Founder of Oracle
SpousesAdda Quinn (m. 1967–1974), Barbara Boothe (m. 1983–1986), Melanie Craft (m. 2003–2010), Nancy Wheeler Jenkins (m. 1977–1978)
Known asLawrence Joseph Ellison
ChildrensDavid Ellison, Megan Ellison
Universities
  • University Of Chicago,University Of Illinois
  • University of Chicago (1964–1966)
  • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1962–1964)
  • South Shore High School
Notable Alumnis
  • University Of Chicago
  • University Of Illinois
Founder / Co-Founder
  • Software Development Laboratories
Birth PlaceManhattan, New York
ReligionJewish
Height191
GenderMale
FatherLouis Ellison
MotherFlorence Spellman, Lillian Ellison
Net Worth$54.9 billion as of Mar 15,2017
Sun SignLeo
Born inManhattan, New York
Famous asFounder of Oracle

Larry Ellison's photo

Who is Larry Ellison?

Lawrence Joseph ‘Larry’ Ellison is an American businessman, best known as the co-founder and CEO of multi-billion dollar software company, ‘Oracle Corporation’. He was a university dropout who was highly inclined towards the newly developing computer design system and in pursuit of success moved to California from Chicago. He started out by developing databases for CIA and quickly escalated to the idea of forming his own company, after developing the database ‘Oracle’. He co-founded ‘Software Development Laboratories’, which later came to be known as ‘Oracle Corporation’, with an initial investment of $2000. The company grew in the software market progressively since its foundation and with a fortune of about $ 52 billion Ellison is the third richest man in America. It is inspiring to note how a person with such a difficult childhood and youth, who was abandoned by his biological mother, never knew his biological father and was raised by an adoptive father who was distant and critical of him, achieved such great heights in life. Ellison is a man who achieved brilliance against all odds because of his courage, talent, strong ideas and hard work.

// Famous ESFP

Steven Spielberg

Steven Spielberg

Steven Spielberg is a famous Hollywood director renowned for his movies such as ‘E.T.’, ‘Jurassic Park’ and ‘War of the Worlds’. To know more about his childhood, career, profile and timeline read on

Mel Gibson

Mel Gibson

Mel Gibson is an American actor and filmmaker. This biography provides detailed information about his childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline

Robbie Williams

Robbie Williams

Robbie Williams is an English singer-cum songwriter, record producer, and musician. The biography below gives detailed account of his childhood, life, works, achievements and timeline.

Childhood & Early Life

Larry Ellison was born in New York City to an unmarried teen mother of Jewish heritage. He developed pneumonia when he was 9 months old, which is why his mother gave him to her aunt and uncle for adoption.

He was brought up on the south side of New York City and did not know until 12 that he was adopted. He attended the Eugene Field Elementary School in Chicago and later went to Sullivan High School.

His adoptive father, Louis Ellison, had a small real estate business in Chicago but lost all of that during the Great Depression. Young Ellison did not go along very well with him as he was distant and unaccommodating.

Although Ellison was raised in a religious household and often attended synagogue but he grew up to become a religious skeptic who did not believe in the conventional religious dogmas. He refused to have a bar mitzvah celebration when he was 13.

Ellison enrolled at the University of Illinois but dropped out of college when his adoptive mother passed away. Later he went to the University of Chicago but soon dropped out of there too.

Career

After dropping out of the university, Ellison, during 1970s, started working with the Ampex Corporation. He worked to develop databases, in particular for CIA; a program that he named ‘Oracle’.

In 1977, Ellison founded his own company under the name of ‘Software Development Laboratories (SDL)’. He started it with two other partners and invested about 2000 US dollars in it, initially.

In the late ‘70s and early ’80, Ellison renamed his company as ‘Relational Software Inc.’, which went on to become ‘Oracle Systems Corporation’, named after its patent invention ‘Oracle’ database.

He wanted his creation Oracle to achieve compatibility with the newly formed IBM System Inc., which was like Oracle based on Codd’s theories, but IBM refused to share System R’s code.

In 1990, Oracle started losing money in the business and laid off about 10% of its working staff. This situation emerged due to Oracle’s marketing techniques.

In 1994, Informix overhauled Sybase and became Oracle’s most important competition in the software market. The rivalry between the heads of the two companies - Phil White (Informix) and Ellison - was hyped in the media for years.

Eventually, Informix announced its bankruptcy and Phil White ended in jail; his company was absorbed by IBM in 2001. Around the same time, Ellison who was also working as the director of Apple Computer for about 5 years now, resigned.

After Informix and Sybase were defeated in the competition, Oracle went through a period of dominance and success until Microsoft SQL Server and IBM overtook the market.

It is said that by 2005, Ellison was making a salary of $975,000 with $6,500,00 in bonus and $955,100 in compensations, which eventually became $56.8 million during the late 2000s. He was ranked as the richest Californian.

In 2010, Oracle’s takeover of Sun Microsystems was granted by the European Union. This gave Oracle the control of the popular MySQL open source database. In the same year, Mark Hurd (ex-CEO of HP) was hired as Co-President by Ellison.

By late 2000s, Ellison was estimated to be of net worth of $28 billion. ‘The Wall Street Journal’ reported him to be the best-paid executive.

Major Works

Ellison’s most important work of his career is considered to be his invention of ‘Oracle’ database, which led to the foundation of his company, ‘Oracle Systems Corporation. This has made him the third richest businessman in America.

Awards & Achievements

Ellison's yacht USA 17 won the second race of the 33rd America's Cup. He and his BMW Oracle team returned to America from Spain in 2010 with the title, for the first time in more than a decade.

Personal Life & Legacy

Ellison has been married 4 times. His first marriage was with Adda Quinn (1967-74); second to Nancy Wheeler Jenkins (1977-78), then to Barbara Boothe (1983-86) and had two children: David and Megan, and fourth to Melanie Craft (2003-2010).

Trivia

This famous IT entrepreneur and co-founder of a renowned IT company made a cameo appearance in the movie ‘Iron Man 2’ in 2010.

Larry Ellison is a philanthropist and continues to donate for charitable causes. He is one of the 40 billionaires who have signed "The Giving Pledge". The Giving Pledge is an organisation founded by Bill Gates and Warren Buffet which encourages the wealthy people of the world to contribute their wealth to philanthropic causes.

Net Worth

Larry Ellison, the chairman of the world famous IT giant ‘Oracle’ had a total wealth of up to $49.7 Billion, as of August 2014. Ellison worked with companies like ‘Ampex Corporation’ and ‘Amdahl Corporation’, before starting a firm with two others in the 1970’s. Ellison apparently was offered a pay as high as $ 975000 in 2005. He was also given stock option worth 7 million.

// Famous Poorly Educated

Simon Cowell

Simon Cowell

Simon Cowell is a television personality, producer and entrepreneur. This biography of Simon Cowell provides detailed information about his childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline.

Richard Branson

Richard Branson

Richard Branson is the founder and chairman of Virgin Group of companies. Explore this biography to learn more about his childhood, life, works, achievements and timeline.

Coco Chanel

Coco Chanel

Coco Chanel was a renowned French fashion designer who founded the fashion brand ‘Chanel’. Read this biography to learn more about her childhood, profile, life and timeline.

Larry Ellison biography timelines

  • // 17th Aug 1944
    Larry Ellison was born in New York City to an unmarried teen mother of Jewish heritage. He developed pneumonia when he was 9 months old, which is why his mother gave him to her aunt and uncle for adoption.
  • // 1967 To 2010
    Ellison has been married 4 times. His first marriage was with Adda Quinn (1967-74); second to Nancy Wheeler Jenkins (1977-78), then to Barbara Boothe (1983-86) and had two children: David and Megan, and fourth to Melanie Craft (2003-2010).
  • // 1970
    After dropping out of the university, Ellison, during 1970s, started working with the Ampex Corporation. He worked to develop databases, in particular for CIA; a program that he named ‘Oracle’.
  • // 1977
    In 1977, Ellison founded his own company under the name of ‘Software Development Laboratories (SDL)’. He started it with two other partners and invested about 2000 US dollars in it, initially.
  • // 1990
    In 1990, Oracle started losing money in the business and laid off about 10% of its working staff. This situation emerged due to Oracle’s marketing techniques.
  • // 1994
    In 1994, Informix overhauled Sybase and became Oracle’s most important competition in the software market. The rivalry between the heads of the two companies - Phil White (Informix) and Ellison - was hyped in the media for years.
  • // 2000
    By late 2000s, Ellison was estimated to be of net worth of $28 billion. ‘The Wall Street Journal’ reported him to be the best-paid executive.
  • // 2001
    Eventually, Informix announced its bankruptcy and Phil White ended in jail; his company was absorbed by IBM in 2001. Around the same time, Ellison who was also working as the director of Apple Computer for about 5 years now, resigned.
  • // 2005
    It is said that by 2005, Ellison was making a salary of $975,000 with $6,500,00 in bonus and $955,100 in compensations, which eventually became $56.8 million during the late 2000s. He was ranked as the richest Californian.
  • // 2010
    In 2010, Oracle’s takeover of Sun Microsystems was granted by the European Union. This gave Oracle the control of the popular MySQL open source database. In the same year, Mark Hurd (ex-CEO of HP) was hired as Co-President by Ellison.
  • // 2010
    Ellison's yacht USA 17 won the second race of the 33rd America's Cup. He and his BMW Oracle team returned to America from Spain in 2010 with the title, for the first time in more than a decade.
  • // 2010
    This famous IT entrepreneur and co-founder of a renowned IT company made a cameo appearance in the movie ‘Iron Man 2’ in 2010.

// Famous IT & Software Entrepreneurs

Jawed Karim

Jawed Karim

Jawed Karim is a German-American internet entrepreneur, technologist and co-founder of the video-sharing website, YouTube. Check out this biography to know about his childhood, family, personal life, achievements, age, etc.

Andrew McCollum

Andrew McCollum

Andrew McCollum is one of the five founders of Facebook. Check out this biography to know about his childhood, family life, achievements and other facts about his life.

Gabe Newell

Gabe Newell

Gabe Newell is an American computer programmer and businessman, best known as the co-founder of ‘Valve Corporation.’ This biography provides detailed information about his childhood, family, personal life, career, etc.

Eduardo Saverin

Eduardo Saverin

Eduardo Luiz Saverin is a Brazilian internet entrepreneur and investor. This biography profiles his childhood, life, career, achievements, and timeline

Jack Ma

Jack Ma

Jack Ma is a Business tycoon belonging to China known for his e-commerce business venture ‘Alibaba’. This biography of Jack Ma provides detailed information about his childhood, profile, career & timeline

Randi Zuckerberg

Randi Zuckerberg

Randi Zuckerberg is an American businesswoman. This biography profiles her childhood, life, career, achievements and some fun facts.

Larry Ellison's FAQ

  • What is Larry Ellison birthday?

    Larry Ellison was born at 1944-08-17

  • Where is Larry Ellison's birth place?

    Larry Ellison was born in Manhattan, New York

  • What is Larry Ellison nationalities?

    Larry Ellison's nationalities is American

  • Who is Larry Ellison spouses?

    Larry Ellison's spouses is Adda Quinn (m. 1967–1974), Barbara Boothe (m. 1983–1986), Melanie Craft (m. 2003–2010), Nancy Wheeler Jenkins (m. 1977–1978)

  • Who is Larry Ellison childrens?

    Larry Ellison's childrens is David Ellison, Megan Ellison

  • What was Larry Ellison universities?

    Larry Ellison studied at University Of Chicago,University Of Illinois, University of Chicago (1964–1966), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1962–1964), South Shore High School

  • What was Larry Ellison notable alumnis?

    Larry Ellison's notable alumnis is University Of Chicago, University Of Illinois

  • Which company or organization was founded by Larry Ellison?

    Larry Ellison was the founder/co-founder of Software Development Laboratories

  • What is Larry Ellison's religion?

    Larry Ellison's religion is Jewish

  • How tall is Larry Ellison?

    Larry Ellison's height is 191

  • Who is Larry Ellison's father?

    Larry Ellison's father is Louis Ellison

  • Who is Larry Ellison's mother?

    Larry Ellison's mother is Florence Spellman, Lillian Ellison

  • What is Larry Ellison's sun sign?

    Larry Ellison is Leo

  • How famous is Larry Ellison?

    Larry Ellison is famouse as Founder of Oracle