If the merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. actually comes through, and if TikTok somehow joins the mix, then Larry Ellison could end up commanding one of the most powerful media empires in modern history. For years, Larry Ellison was the wild child of Silicon Valley, the brash Oracle co-founder who loved racing yachts, collecting luxury estates modeled after Japanese palaces, and living life as extravagantly as he ran his company.
Oracle made him a billionaire many times over, but Ellison himself was always the main attraction, bold, outspoken, and larger than life. He is on a mission to build one of the biggest media empires the world has ever seen. What once looked like another billionaire passion project is now becoming a serious power move that could rewrite the entertainment and tech landscape for decades to come.
The Rise of a Father-Son Power Duo
From the Middle Ground to the Political Spotlight
The TikTok Connection
The Political and Business Connection
The Prodigal Son: David Ellison’s Rise in Media
David Ellison: From Hollywood Flop to Media Mogul
The Paramount Deal and What Comes Next?
Building an Empire: From Tech to Hollywood
A Media Vision Beyond Politics
The Rise of a Father-Son Power Duo
At the heart of this media ascent lies the elder Ellison’s close relationship with US President Donald Trump, who has openly praised the Oracle founder as “an amazing man and amazing businessperson.” For someone who built his reputation coding databases, it’s quite the evolution.
Larry Ellison, now 80, co-founded Oracle in 1977 and turned it into one of the world’s most valuable software companies. His net worth, tied to a nearly 40% stake in Oracle, has soared to around $370 billion as the company leads in artificial intelligence infrastructure. For a brief moment in 2025, he even surpassed Elon Musk as the world’s richest person.
Once known for his love of yachts, tennis courts, and his private Hawaiian island, Ellison now seems more focused on consolidating influence, not just in tech, but in shaping the future of media itself.
From the Middle Ground to the Political Spotlight
Ellison’s big political move came in 2016 when he donated tens of millions to support then–Senator Marco Rubio’s presidential run. Rubio’s campaign manager, Terry Sullivan, later described Ellison as a dream donor, “low-maintenance” and never demanding special access or endless meetings.
After Rubio’s campaign ended, Ellison stayed neutral, declining to endorse either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. Even in a 2018 Fox Business interview, he identified himself as part of “the dispassionate middle”, the moderate space shared, in his view, by figures like Clinton, Rubio, Mitt Romney, and Tony Blair.
But neutrality has its limits. In 2020, Ellison hosted a fundraiser for Trump’s reelection at one of his California estates. He didn’t attend the event but later joined a White House advisory council focused on reviving the U.S. economy during the pandemic. “I don’t think Trump’s the devil,” he told Forbes that year. “I support him and want him to do well.”
The TikTok Connection
By late 2020, Ellison’s company, Oracle, became a central player in one of the most high-profile tech dramas of the Trump era, the U.S. government’s standoff with TikTok. To address national security concerns, Oracle partnered with the app to host its U.S. user data and was even positioned to purchase its American operations in collaboration with Walmart. Though the deal ultimately fell through, Trump publicly praised Ellison as “a tremendous guy” and “a tremendous person.”
After the 2020 election, reports surfaced that Ellison joined a phone call with Senator Lindsey Graham and Fox News host Sean Hannity about contesting the results. However, Ellison’s son David later told journalist Kara Swisher that the family “believes it was a free and fair election and accepts the results.” According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, the Oracle-led consortium is set to acquire an 80% stake in TikTok’s U.S. operations.
The Political and Business Connection
Ellison’s ties to Trump date back years. A known Republican megadonor, he hosted a fundraiser for Trump in 2020. Oracle’s involvement with TikTok also began under Trump’s first term, when the company was tapped to host the app’s US user data.
Now, as the White House seeks a stable American hand to guide the platform’s algorithm, Oracle could soon play an even deeper role, giving Ellison unprecedented sway over one of the world’s most downloaded apps. The administration’s favor has also helped David Ellison, who’s carving his own path in the media landscape.
The Prodigal Son: David Ellison’s Rise in Media
While Larry was navigating the political and tech circles, his son, David Ellison, was building an empire of his own. His production house, Skydance Media, founded in 2010, made its mark in Hollywood with hits like Top Gun: Maverick, Mission: Impossible, and True Grit.
But in 2024, David took a bold leap, attempting to acquire Paramount Global, one of America’s oldest media giants. Backed financially by his father, the deal quickly became a political lightning rod. The merger process faced intense scrutiny amid Trump’s public attacks on Paramount’s CBS division, including a $16 million lawsuit over an edited interview with Kamala Harris. Paramount eventually settled the suit but denied any link to the merger approval process.
Soon after, Skydance made a surprising move: sending a letter to the FCC promising a “comprehensive review of CBS,” including the appointment of an ombudsman to handle complaints about bias and plans to roll back its diversity and inclusion programs. Two days later, the FCC, led by Trump loyalist Brendan Carr, approved the merger.
David Ellison: From Hollywood Flop to Media Mogul
David’s first Hollywood outing, the 2006 World War I film Flyboys, which he both financed and starred in, was a box office failure. But setbacks rarely stop an Ellison.
In 2010, he founded Skydance Media, a studio that soon became a powerhouse, producing global hits like Mission: Impossible, True Grit, and World War Z. His sister, Megan Ellison, built her own artistic niche with Annapurna Pictures, known for Her, Zero Dark Thirty, and American Hustle.
Over time, David expanded Skydance beyond film, venturing into television, gaming, and sports. His most daring leap came in 2025, when, with his father’s backing, he acquired Paramount Global, a move that instantly placed him among the most influential figures in American media.
The Paramount Deal and What Comes Next?
With Paramount under his belt, David Ellison now oversees an empire of 18,000 employees, including iconic outlets like CBS. The acquisition received the green light from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), currently led by Brendan Carr, a Trump ally.
But that’s just the beginning. The Ellisons are reportedly eyeing Warner Bros. Discovery, home to franchises such as Harry Potter, Looney Tunes, Superman, HBO, and CNN. If this merger materializes, the result would be one of the largest media conglomerates in US history, blending Hollywood storytelling, news, and social media under a single family’s reach.
Building an Empire: From Tech to Hollywood
Earlier in 2025, David Ellison’s Skydance Media finalized an $8 billion merger with Paramount Global, giving the Ellison family control over iconic brands such as CBS News, MTV, Nickelodeon, and Paramount Pictures, spanning everything from children’s cartoons to nightly news broadcasts.
This bold move marks a striking pivot for a family whose fortune was built on enterprise software, yet it’s far from the last. Industry whispers suggest that Paramount Skydance is weighing a $70 billion bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, potentially bringing DC Comics, Harry Potter, Barbie, CNN, and HBO under the Ellison umbrella. Analysts at Barclays estimate that if the deal succeeds, the merged entity would become the world’s largest studio, commanding streaming platforms with over 200 million subscribers.
A Media Vision Beyond Politics
David Ellison’s public statements reflect a more balanced worldview, one that echoes his father’s earlier centrist philosophy. “We want to be in the truth business, the facts business,” he said. “We’re focused on the 70% of Americans who consider themselves center-left to center-right. That’s the audience we want to serve.”
With Paramount now under his control and potential acquisitions like Warner Bros. Discovery and The Free Press reportedly in the works, David Ellison’s next moves could reshape how entertainment and news coexist in the U.S., and how much influence one family can wield across both Silicon Valley and Hollywood.
Sushree Sangeeta Behera
FAQs
Who is Larry Ellison?
Larry Ellison is the co-founder of Oracle and one of the wealthiest people in the world. Known for his extravagant lifestyle and bold business moves, he is now focused on building a massive media empire.
What is David Ellison’s role in Hollywood?
David Ellison is the founder of Skydance Media, a production company behind hits like Top Gun: Maverick, Mission: Impossible, and True Grit. He now oversees Paramount Global, expanding his influence in media.
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