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.
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.
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.
Famous and popular entrepreneurs are remarkable individuals those have not only transformed industries but also inspired a global mindset shift. With diverse backgrounds and domains of expertise, they consistently lead the charts and serve as exceptional role models. These renowned business leaders have earned their status as the epitome of success and have become synonymous with achievement. What sets them apart is their unwavering self-belief, cultivated from an early age, and their relentless pursuit of success and recognition. Their stories are a testament to the power of hard work, dedication, and a resolute entrepreneurial spirit.
Join us as we delve into the captivating life journeys of famous entrepreneurs and their business unlocking valuable lessons from these iconic figures in the business world that can inspire and empower you on your own path to success.
What Makes an Entrepreneur Successful?
There’s no one-size-fits-all formula for becoming a successful entrepreneur. If you look at the path of any well-known founder, you’ll notice it all started with a simple idea. But turning that idea into something real takes years of hard work, focus, adaptability, and smart planning, with the right support along the way.
If you’re dreaming of building something of your own, start by thinking bigger than just a business, think about how your idea could make a difference or move the world forward. Once your idea is in place, it’s your commitment, strategy, and persistence that will carry it through. With time and dedication, you could be the next success story.
List of Top Famous and Successful Entrepreneurs in the World:
Valued at $192 Billion, Elon Reeve Musk, is one of the most famous entrepreneurs and the richest person in the world. He is professionally known as Elon Musk.
Elon Musk owns SpaceX the largest aerospace manufacturer, a clean energy and electric vehicle company, Tesla Inc., and The boring Company, a tunnel construction company. Elon Musk also co-founded Neuralink Corporation, a neurotechnology company, and owns an AI-based research laboratory, Open AI.
Musk has a diversified interest in business fields. He has founded high-tech companies like The Boring Company, SpaceX, and Neuralink Corporation. He owns the largest aerospace manufacturing company and the world's biggest infrastructure company providing tunnel construction services making him the best in the list of top 10 international entrepreneurs.
Elon Musk is a business tycoon, successful investor, industrial designer, and engineer. Musk also co-founded X.com which was merged with online bank Confinity.
"Persistence is very important. You should not give up unless you are forced to give up." - Elon Musk
Books recommended by Elon Musk -
Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies by Nick Bostrom
Jeff Bezos
Name
Jeff Bezos
Date of Birth
January 12, 1964
Education
Princeton University (BSE)
Source of Wealth
Amazon, Self Made
Net Worth
$221.8 billion (2025)
Best Entrepreneur in the World - Jeff Bezos
Jeff Bezos, the ecommerce tycoon, was born on 12 January, 1964 in Mexico. This man is the founder and CEO of Amazon, the largest ecommerce company. His biological father is Ted Jorgensen but his mother, Jacklyn Gise divorced Ted and married another man, Mike Bezos.
Jeff was graduated from Princeton University with degrees in Electrical engineering and Computer Science. He worked at Fintel to build their system for international trade.
He later changed career to banking industry in 1988. But after 5 years, he decided to start his own company. In 1994, Jeff Bezos started Cadabra, an online bookstore. The name was later changed to Amazon as it starts with an "A", beginner of alphabet. Jeff got the initial capital of 300,000 from his parents to start the company.
The company later transitioned into an ecommerce platform for all the product. Bezos has seen many ups and downs in his career. In fact, his company was almost bankrupted in 2002 due to over spending of funding. However, Jeff Bezos took Amazon out of that storm. As of 2023, Jeff Bezos is the third richest person in the world with a net worth of over $139 Billion.
“A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well.” – Jeff Bezos
Books recommended by Jeff Bezos -
Built to Last by Jim Collins
Creation by Steve Grand
Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
University of Pune, University of Warwick, Harvard University
Source of Wealth
Diversified
Net Worth
$6.4 billion (2025)
Best Entrepreneur in the World - Sanjiv Bajaj
Born on November 2, 1969, Sanjiv Bajaj is among one of the most successful Indian businessmen, investors, and philanthropists. He is the Chairman of Bajaj Finance Limited and the Chairman and Managing Director of Bajaj Finserv Limited, the holding group company for all the financial services business of the Bajaj Group. The Bajaj Group is one of the oldest and largest conglomerates in India. Bajaj Finserv consisting of lending and insurance companies, has an annual revenue of over 410 crores USD for FY23.
Under his leadership, Bajaj Finserv has emerged as one of India’s leading diversified financial services companies with solutions across lending, insurance, and wealth advisory category. With a consumer-first, digital approach and a culture focused on excellence through innovative disruption, Sanjiv is known for pioneering digital consumer financing in India, which helped transform the entire landscape of the financial services space.
“We have always focussed on building long-term businesses built on excellence, sustainable profit.”
Born on October 28th, 1955, William Henry “Bill” Gates III is an American business magnate, investor, philanthropist, and author. In 1975, Gates with Paul Allen co-founded Microsoft with a vision to be a successful and famous Entrepreneur of all time. They never knew their fortune and their hard work would enlist them in the world’s largest Personal Computer software company. In recent years Bill Gates has devoted more time to philanthropic activities. Bill Gates is one of the top 10 entrepreneurs in the world.
During his career journey at Microsoft, Bill Gates held the positions of chairman, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Software Architect (CSA). Uptill May 2014 he had the highest individual shareholder. He has authored and co-authored several books. However, Bill Gates has been always ranked in the Forbes list of the world’s wealthiest people since 1987, and he was the wealthiest entrepreneur from 1995 to 2007, then again in 2009, and then from 2014 to 2017. Bill Gates is the most famous entrepreneur and holds the Guinness World record for inventing "World's First Microcomputer" in 1980.
"We all need people who will give us feedback. That’s how we improve."- Bill Gates
Popular Entrepreneurs in the World - Mark Zuckerberg
Born on May 14th, 1984, Mark Elliot Zuckerberg is an American computer programmer and Internet entrepreneur. He is one of the famous businessman in the world. He is the chairman, chief executive officer (CEO), and co-founder of Facebook, now rebranded as Meta. Since his adulthood Mark was keen to take up his future as a smart, influential and famous entrepreneur. As of 2017, his net worth is estimated to be the US $128 billion, ranking him as the 5th richest person in the world.
Facebook was launched by Zuckerberg from Harvard’s dormitory rooms on February 4, 2004. He was aided by his college roommates and fellow Harvard University students Eduardo Saverin, Dustin Moskovitz, Andrew McCollum, and Chris Hughes. The group then introduced Facebook to other college campuses. Mark is among the most famous entrepreneurs in the world. Time magazine has named Zuckerberg among the 100 wealthiest and most influential people in the world as a part of its Person of the Year distinction since 2010. As of 2023, his net worth is estimated to be the $87.3 billion.
"Facebook was not originally created to be a company. It was built to accomplish a social mission - to make the world more open and connected." - Mark Zuckerberg
Books recommended by Mark Zuckerberg -
Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind By Yuval Noah Harari
The Rational Optimist: How Prosperity Evolves by Matt Ridley
National institute of Engineering, Mysore (BE), IIT Kanpur (MTech)
Source of Wealth
Infosys, Self Made
Net Worth
$4.6 billion (2025)
Narayana Murthy
Born on the 20th, August 1946, Nagavara Ramarao is commonly referred to as Narayana Murthy and is an Indian IT industrialist and the co-founder of Infosys, a multinational corporation providing business consulting, engineering, technology, and outsourcing services. His varied distinctive knowledge has led him to be a famous entrepreneur with showering success on his way. He is one of the famous Indian businessmen.
He started Infosys in 1981 and served as its CEO from 1981 till 2002 and as its chairman from 2002 to 2011. Fortune magazine has listed Murthy as one of the greatest and top Indian entrepreneurs of all time. Time magazine has described him as the Father of the Indian IT sector due to his contribution to outsourcing in India.
"It's very important to learn quick lessons from your failures, very important to recognize symptoms of failure pretty early, and it is very, very important to not to be attached too much to the idea - you have to know when to give up an idea." -Narayan Murthy
Books recommended by Narayana Murthy -
Winners Never Cheat Even in Difficult Times by Jon M Huntsman
What Money Can’t Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets by Michael J. Sandel
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (no degree), University of Chicago (no degree)
Source of Wealth
Oracle, Self Made
Net Worth
$206.2 billion (2025)
Larry Ellison
Born on August 17th, 1944, Lawrence Joseph Ellison, commonly known as Larry Ellison is an world famous and most successful American businessman, entrepreneur, and philanthropist who has co-founded Oracle Corporation and thrives to become a famous entrepreneur by creating the best possible value of his software services to the most valued customer. Larry Ellison was the CEO of Oracle from its foundation until September 2014. At present he is the executive chairman and chief technology officer. Forbes magazine listed him as the seventh-wealthiest in the world and as the fifth-wealthiest person in America, with a fortune of $51.9 billion as of February 2017.
“When I do something, it is all about self-discovery. I want to learn and discover my own limits.” - Larry Ellison
Books recommended by Larry Ellison -
The Robber Barons: The Great American Capitalists by Mathew Josephson
Top Entrepreneurs in the World - Michael Saul Dell
Born on February 23rd, 1965, Michael Saul Dell is an American business magnate, investor, author, and philanthropist. Michael Dell is the founder and CEO of Dell Technologies, one of the world’s leading providers of information technology and infrastructure solutions. Michael wasn’t the only famous entrepreneur to ride the computer boom of the late 1980s and early 1990s from rags to riches.
Like Rod Canion of Compaq and Steve Jobs of Apple, Dell turned a fledgling start-up into a multibillion-dollar computer empire. But unlike the ill-fated Canion and Jobs, who lost control of their creations as they grew, Dell has managed to hold on to the reins of his maverick venture and achieve the unique distinction of being the computer industry’s longest-tenured CEO. As of February 2023, he is ranked the 24th richest person in the world by Wikipedia, with a net worth of $51.6 billion.
"There are a lot of things that go into creating success. I don't like to do just the things I like to do. I like to do things that cause the company to succeed. I don't spend a lot of time doing my favorite activities." - Michael Dell
Born on January 28th, 1940, Slim was ranked as the richest person in the world from 2010 through 2013. Carlos Slim is a Mexican business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He secured his fortune from his large holdings in a significant number of Mexican companies through his empire, Grupo Carso.
He was ranked #7 on Forbes list of billionaires since 31 July 2016, with a net worth that is estimated at more than $50 billion. His empire includes education, entertainment, energy, healthcare, industrial manufacturing, transportation, retail, real estate, media, hospitality, high-technology, sports, and financial services. However, his great effort and a constant hunger to be a famous entrepreneur have bought him a great tenure of success. He is holding a net worth of $86 billion in 2023.
“Technology is going to transform people’s lives and society everywhere in the world. I spend most of my time studying new technologies. My main task is to understand what’s going on and try to see where we can fit in.” – Carlos Slim
Books recommended by Carlos Slim -
The Warren Buffett Way by Robert G Hagstorm
The Money Machine by Philip Coggan
Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet by Jeffrey Sachs
Sergey Brin
Name
Sergey Brin
Date of Birth
August 21, 1973
Education
University of Maryland, College Park (BS), Stanford University (MS)
Source of Wealth
Google, Self Made
Net Worth
$134.5 billion (2025)
Top Entrepreneurs in World - Sergey Brin
Sergey Brin is a computer scientist. Sergey Brin founded Google with Larry Page. The two became billionaires as Google developed into the world's most popular search engine and a media giant. In 2006, Google purchased the most popular website for user-submitted streaming videos, YouTube, for $1.65 billion in stock. In November 2016, Brin was ranked No. 13 on Forbes' "Billionaires" list, and No. 10 among U.S. billionaires who made the list. Sergey Brin stepped down as president of Alphabet, parent company of Google, in December 2019 but remains a controller shareholder and a board member. As of 2023, Sergey Brin has net worth of $102.1 billion.
Books recommended by Sergey Brin -
"Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!" by Edward Hutchings
Top Entrepreneurs in World - Richard Charles Nicholas Branson
Born on 18th, July 1950, Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson is an English business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is the founder of the Virgin Group, which manages more than 400 companies. Richard Branson is very popular for his lifestyle and charity. His vision was well accomplished since he started his journey from an early age.
Richard started with a magazine called Student at the age of sixteen. Although it was his first business venture which curated a wonderful entrepreneurship journey which made him a famous entrepreneur. In 1972, he set up a mail-order record business and he opened a chain of record stores, Virgin Records, later known as Virgin Megastores respectively. Branson’s Virgin brand grew rapidly during the 1980s, as he set up Virgin Atlantic airline and expanded the Virgin Records music label.
Branson was knighted at Buckingham Palace for “services to entrepreneurship” in March 2000. He became one of the most prominent figures in British culture for his work in retail, music, transport, taste for adventure, and for vast humanitarian work. As of 2023, The Sunday Times estimates Richard Branson and his family's collective net worth to be an impressive £2.41 billion.
"There is no greater thing you can do with your life and your work than follow your passions – in a way that serves the world and you." - Richard Branson
Books recommended by Richard Branson -
Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life’s Most Important Skill by Matthieu Ricard
Big World, Small Planet: Abundance within Planetary Boundaries by Johan Rockstrom, Mattias Klum
One Hundred & One Reasons To Get Out of Bed by Natasha Milne
Jack Ma Yun
Name
Jack Ma Yun
Date of Birth
10 September 1964
Education
Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (2006), Hangzhou Normal University
Source of Wealth
Alibaba Group and Ant Group, Self Made
Net Worth
$26.3 billion (2025)
Top Entrepreneurs in the World - Jack Ma Yun
Jack Ma, once an English teacher, became one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world. He started Alibaba, a huge online shopping company in China that changed the way people buy and sell things.
In 1999, Jack Ma began Alibaba from his small apartment in Hangzhou with 18 friends. At that time, online shopping in China was almost unheard of. Alibaba first helped Chinese factories connect with buyers from other countries.
But Jack Ma dreamed bigger.
He later created Taobao, an online marketplace for everyday people in China. Today, both Alibaba and Taobao are leaders in China’s e-commerce world, helping millions of people run their businesses online.
Jack Ma’s journey shows that even big dreams can come true—with hard work, strong belief, and never giving up.
Books recommended by Jack Ma -
Tao Te Ching: by Stephen Mitchell, Lao Tzu
Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies by Jim Collins, Jerry I Porras
Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations Paperback by Clay Shirky
The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More by Chris Anderson
Makers: The New Industrial Revolution by Chris Anderson
Business Cycles: by Joseph A. Schumpeter
Conclusion
The list above includes notable foreign entrepreneurs as well as successful entrepreneurs from India. These well-known individuals serve as a great source of inspiration, offering valuable insights into the path to success. Global entrepreneurs are driving innovation and creating impact across industries, inspiring a new generation of global entrepreneurs to think big and act boldly. Each of these popular and well known entrepreneurs has experienced both triumphs and challenges throughout their journey. As of 2025, these international entrepreneurs continue to work tirelessly for their companies, serving as a source of inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs through their business ideas and stories. We hope that this compilation of renowned entrepreneurs and their stories has provided you with valuable lessons on navigating the entrepreneurial journey.
FAQs
Who are the most successful entrepreneurs in the world?
The list of entrepreneurs who are most successful and famous in the world are:
Jeff Bezos
Elon Musk
Sanjiv Bajaj
Bill Gates
Mark Zuckerberg
Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson
Sergey Brin
Carlos Slim
Michael Saul Dell
Larry Ellison
Nagavara Ramarao Narayana Murthy
Jack Ma
What industries have these famous entrepreneurs made an impact on?
These entrepreneurs have made a significant impact across various industries, including technology, e-commerce, space exploration, social media, and telecommunications.
Which entrepreneurs are on the list of the rags to riches stories of Indian entrepreneurs?
Dhirubhai Ambani, Karsanbhai Patel, Kalpana Saroj, Patricia Narayan, Sunil Bharti Mittal, and Narayan Murthy are some of the entrepreneurs who can easily be included on the list of the rags to riches stories of Indian entrepreneurs.
What are the characteristics of entrepreneurs?
Entrepreneurs are risk-takers, innovative thinkers, and self-motivated individuals. They possess resilience, adaptability, and persistence to overcome challenges, while being goal-oriented and passionate about their ventures.
What makes famous entrepreneurs stand out from others?
These entrepreneurs stand out for their exceptional vision, innovative ideas, ability to disrupt industries, and remarkable business achievements. They have built global empires and transformed the way we live and do business.
Can I learn from the experiences of these greatest entrepreneurs?
Absolutely! By studying the lives and journeys of these greatest entrepreneurs, you can gain valuable insights, learn from their successes and failures, and apply their strategies and principles to your own entrepreneurial endeavors.
Who is the most famous businessman?
The most famous businessman today is Elon Musk, known for Tesla, SpaceX, and X (formerly Twitter).
The saying “Winners never quit, and quitters never win” is true, but it seems ironic in the case of entrepreneurs who have quit their academics to pursue their goals instead. Guess what, though? They have accomplished much more than getting good grades from school or university.
People continue to question the decisions that were made by dropouts, asking, “Will they thrive as successful contributors to society?” But trust me when I say that going from being a dropout student with nothing in their pocket to becoming one of the most successful millionaire entrepreneurs in the world has greatly increased respect for determination and commitment to one’s aims.
Dropping out of school or college is considered one of the biggest mistakes in one’s life. However, there are certain people who have proved this notion wrong by turning this mistake into huge achievements. The following is a list of the biggest entrepreneurs in the world, who dropped out of their education in the middle.
Bill Gates
Name
Bill Gates
Net Worth
$114 Billion (2022)
Source
Microsoft Corporation
Dropout From
Harvard University
Bill Gates
Bill Gates is known to be the inventor of the college-dropout billionaire trope in 1975 when he left Harvard to start his career in establishing Microsoft. At the age of 13, he wrote his first software program to get admission to a private Lakeside school, which revealed his affinity for programming.
Whilst at Lakeside school, Gates earned the title of National Merit Scholar, in which he scored 1590 out of 1600 on the SAT. To support his father’s dream of making him becoming a lawyer, he enrolled at Harvard as a pre-law student in 1973, and aced mathematics and computer science courses.
After dropping out of Harvard, in 1975 Gates founded ‘Microsoft’ with his friend Paul, and produced the first-of-its-kind programming language BASIC for the MITS Altair 8800 ‘Microcomputer,’ an early personal computer. He had chosen the path, which he is good at, not the path his parents wanted him to choose.
Mark Zuckerberg
Name
Mark Zuckerberg
Net Worth
$70 Billion (2022)
Source
Meta (formerly Facebook)
Dropout From
Harvard University
Mark Zuckerberg
One of the famous media magnates is the CEO of Meta Platforms- Mark Zuckerberg. He attended his schooling at Ardsley High school before transferring to Phillips Exeter Academy. He started using computer and software programming in middle school, where he built a program that connected wireless communication between his and his father’s dental office.
In 2002, Mark got into Harvard to study Psychology and Computer Science and was already known as a ‘programming prodigy’. At that time, Mark came up with a new code for his new website- Facebook, however, faced a lot of problems in establishing it, so he decided to quit Harvard in 2005 to focus on building his dream, Facebook.
Henry Ford
Name
Henry Ford
Net Worth
$190 billion, (1947, adjusted for inflation)
Source
Ford Motor Company
Dropout From
High School
Henry Ford
The automobile ruler created a revolutionary movement in transportation and the automobile industry. Ford completed his eighth grade at a one-room school and instead of attending sophomore, he enrolled in a bookkeeping course at a commercial school.
Contradictory, Ford was much more interested in building something big than sitting at a desk & bookkeeping. When he was 12 years old, that was the first time he found a purpose in his life when he witnessed the operation of a Nichols and Shepard road engine from a watch gifted by his father. In 1882 Ford returned to his family farm after working as an apprentice machinist in Detroit.
While he was working on the family farm, he became adept at operating the Westinghouse portable steam engine, whereby he completed his first gasoline car powered by a two-cylinder, four-horsepower engine and eventually built three cars in his home workshops, which was a stepping stone to the development of the renowned brand ‘Ford’.
Steve Jobs, the innovation king, was also once a problematic child during his school times, where he played a lot of pranks on teachers and never showed a slight interest in studies.
He even skipped 5th Grade and transferred straight into 6th grade at Crittenden Middle school, where he became a victim of the bully. In fact, his family moved to Los Altos and joined Homestead High school for a better life, which was surrounded by an environment of engineering families.
In 1971, Steve Jobs decided to join the electronics club with his best friend Wozniak, who got into the University of California, Berkeley. At that time, Wozniak designed a low-cost digital ‘blue box’ to manipulate the telephone network, by allowing free long-distance calls.
In 1971, Steve Jobs dropped out of Reed College after the very first semester, because he didn’t want to waste his parent’s money on an education that seemed meaningless to him and worked as a technician at Atari, Inc. in 1972. In 1976, Jobs, and fellow college dropout Steve Wozniak, built the Apple I in his parent’s garage.
Larry Ellison
Name
Larry Ellison
Net Worth
$91 Billion (2022)
Source
Oracle Corporation
Dropout From
University of Chicago
Larry Ellison
Larry Ellison was once a dropout student, but now he was listed as one of the wealthiest people on the planet by Bloomberg Billionaires Index in July 2022. Larry Ellison attended South Shore High school and later enrolled as a pre-med student at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.
At the University, he was rewarded and named ‘Science student of the year. Unexpectedly, he hadn’t appeared for his final exams as his adoptive mother passed away. In 1966, he attended the University of Chicago for one term, where he learned computer design and technology, and later dropped out of it.
Larry Page, the co-founder of Google, found himself attracted to computers when he was 6 years old and even became the first kid in the rudimentary school to turn in an assignment from a word processor.
At the age of 12, he wanted to start a company by inventing new things and eventually developed an interest in technology and business. Larry Page was a radiant student in schooling as well as an undergrad. He did his schooling at Montessori Radmoor and East Lansing High School.
Page received a Bachelor of Science from the University of Michigan and a Master of Science from Stanford both in the field of computer science. After joining his: Ph.D. and he started his research in Computer Science at Stanford University and pursued his full-time interest in building the World Wide Web. However, in 1999 Larry couldn’t complete his Ph.D. degree and dropped out of college to focus more on his main aim.
Jan Koum
Name
Jan Koum
Net Worth
$13.3 Billion (2022)
Source
WhatsApp
Dropout From
San Jose University
Jan Koum
The co-founder of Whatsapp Jan Koum enrolled at San Jose State University because he was interested to learn to program. At the same time, he worked at Ernst & Young as a security tester. In 1997, He left his studies mid-way, because he was hired by Yahoo as an infrastructure engineer.
Evan Williams
Name
Evan Williams
Net Worth
$1.8 Billion (2022)
Source
Twitter
Dropout From
University of Nebraska
Evan Williams
In Clarks, Nebraska, Evan Williams was raised on family property. Before quitting, he spent three semesters enrolled at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.
Williams worked as a contractor writing software for Hewlett-Packard and Intel and then also secured a position at Google. Later, he left his position at Google to start his entrepreneurial journey of establishing Twitter.
Jack Dorsey
Name
Jack Dorsey
Net Worth
$4.2 Billion (2022)
Source
Twitter
Dropout From
New York University
Jack Dorsey
A 1999 New York University dropout is the co-founder of Twitter and Square, two of the most talked-about firms in recent memory. Jack founded Twitter along with Ev Williams, Biz Stone, and Noah Glass after briefly working as a masseur and a fashion designer. At this time, Dorsey is valued around $5.6 billion.
The above graph shows the percentage of Forbes Billionaires by their educational institute type. The graph is made as per the data shared by entrepreneur.com and the study conducted by Wai & Rindermann.
Amancio Ortega
Name
Amancio Ortega
Net Worth
$61.6 Billion (2022)
Source
Inditex
Dropout From
School
Amancio Ortega
Amancio Ortega, dropped out of school at the age of 14, because his father was a railway worker and couldn’t afford much to pay. So, Amancio Ortega joined a local shirtmaker named ‘Gala’, which actually taught him how to make clothes by hand and inspired him to build one of the largest clothing retailer companies, Inditex, known for its chain of Zara and Bershka.
Orji Uzor Kalu was 19 years old when he was dismissed from the Nigerian university after being found instigating a series of student riots. In order to start trading goods like rice, sugar, and palm oil, he requested $35 from his mother.
By diversifying his investments, he became a millionaire by the age of 20. He was ranked by Forbes as the 49th richest person in Africa in 2015. He originally established SLOK Holding, a West African company with profit shareholding in shipping, banking, manufacturing, etc.
Michael Dell
Name
Michael Dell
Net Worth
$56.1 Billion (2022)
Source
Dell Technologies
Dropout From
University of Texas
Michael Dell
In 1983, Michael Dell was a student at the University of Texas, although he occupied much of his energy in his college dorm room updating and hawking devices. Dell founded PCs Ltd. at the age of 19, which eventually grew into Dell Computer Corporation in 1987.
He then obtained a license from the State of Texas to submit bids for big contracts after starting to sell upgrade modules for personal computers from his hostel. At the age of 27, Michael Dell was the youngest CEO on the Fortune 500 list. He currently has a net worth of almost $20 billion.
John Mackey
Name
John Mackey
Net Worth
$85 Million (2022)
Source
Whole Foods Market
Dropout From
Texas University
John Mackey
John Mackey studied Philosophy and Theology at Texas University, Austin in 1978. Renee Lawson Hardy and he first met when he enrolled in a vegetarian co-op at the university.
The couple dropped out of school and founded SaferWay, the first vegetarian supermarket in Austin. It ultimately paved the way for Whole Foods, the 30th leading retailer in the United States measured by revenues in 2014.
Azim Premji is another biggest entrepreneurs on the list of dropout entrepreneurs. is the son of a very famous businessman, who is also known as the Rice king of Burma, Mohamed Hashem Premji. Azim had to drop out of his education at Stanford because he had to take care of his family’s oil business after his father’s sudden demise.
Subsequently, Azim Premji became solely responsible to look after his father’s business in India. He completed his studies to get a Bachelor of science in electronic engineering degree from Stanford University after 30 years.
Kunal Shah
Name
Kunal Shah
Source
CRED
Net Worth
$809 Million (2022)
Dropout From
Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies
Kunal Shah
Kunal Shah graduated from Wilson College with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy. He then enrolled at the Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies for an MBA degree, which he ultimately left. His initial business was PaisaBack, which provided kickbacks from merchants. Among many of the top college dropout Indian entrepreneurs, Kunal Shah is one of the most well-known names.
He is a founding member of FreeCharge, a reputable internet recharge service. 2012 saw the launch of the business, which Snapdeal soon bought. With its first three recharges and matching-value incentives, FreeCharge completely changed the way that internet recharges work. He is currently known best for being the founder of one of India’s unicorn startups CRED.
Ritesh Agarwal
Name
Ritesh Agarwal
Net Worth
$1.1 Billion (2020)
Source
OYO Rooms
Dropout From
Indian School of Business & Finance, New Delhi
Ritesh Agarwal
One of the youngest Indian Billionaires, Ritesh Agarwal, the founder of OYO Rooms. He was from a middle-class family. He completed his higher schooling at St. John’s Senior Secondary School and moved to New Delhi for college in 2011.
But, shortly, he quit as his project idea of Oravel stays Pvt Ltd was selected by the Thiel Fellowship program in 2013, which granted 100,000 USD, with which he launched OYO rooms.
These are some of the most successful entrepreneurs who have found greatness despite not having the appropriate education. They serve as the best illustration that what you study doesn’t define you. It is your hard work and determination and passion that speaks for you.
FAQs
Who is the most successful dropout?
Bill Gates is the most successful dropout in terms of net worth. He possesses a net worth of $110.5 billion as of July 2022.
How many billionaires have no college degree?
As per the billionaire census by Wealth X (2015), about 3 out of the 10 billionaires have no proper college degree. Some of the most popular names who became successful without a proper college degree include Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs, Amancio Ortega, and more.
The worth of computers and software has reached sky-high in this present era. Technology holds an equal necessity in a person’s life as oxygen. Instinctively the competition to maintain a firm grip in the market prevails too. That’s where the software companies come in. Oracle corporation among them grabs our focus.
Oracle is a computer technology corporation. It’s an America-based company that has its headquarters in Austin, Texas. Initially, Redwood shores, California was where the company had its headquarters. It was in December 2020 when Texas housed its new headquarters.
Software and technology databases, systems usually operable by cloud, and database management systems precisely of its brands are some of the things which this company sells. Now before diving into some of the unknown facts about Oracle, let’s have a look at the stars.
Now every material in this universe has its own story, its history, accurately it’s unknown or interesting facts if we say. So following are some of the fascinating facts that magnets our interest:
One of the most popular software companies in today’s world addressed as “Oracle” was not intended to be named Oracle. Instead, the name Oracle can be considered the third name was given to the firm.
In 1977 originally the company was addressed as a “Software Development Laboratory”. Following this, in 1979 the name was reshaped to “Relational Software Inc”. Later in 1995 the company finally was named Oracle corporation after a winning success over a project.
2. The Story Behind “Oracle”
The company was renamed Oracle after completing its first assignment in 1995. The earlier company was known as Relational Software Incorporation. However, when the CIA handed the company its first project, the firm went on to change its name after the completion of the task.
The first project was assigned to design a relational database system. The code name assigned for this project was “Oracle” hence the company drew its name from this project.
3. Oracle Has More Than One Founder
Oracle Founders: Bob Miner | Larry Ellison | Ed Oates
Oracle is highly addressed by its former CEO Larry Ellison. However, the company Oracle took more than one person’s effort to be built up. Oracle originally has three founders named Bob Miner, Ed Oates, and Larry Ellison. Yet, the firm is known by the name of its sole former CEO only named Larry Ellison.
4. Oracle Founder-Ellison’s Attendees
Ellison was brought up by his single mother’s uncle and aunt. The status of Oracle was highly maintained and developed by its co-founder Larry. However, the unknown fact about Larry Ellison is that he was not a normal kid and was counted amongst the sick kids.
It is reported that at the age of nine months, Larry fell prey to pneumonia and hence was given up to his aunt for adoption by his mother. Lillian Spellman and Louis Ellison his aunt and uncle officially adopted him and raised him in the middle-class neighborhood. Irrespective of the odds, Larry Ellison made up his future.
5. Oracle Faced Bankruptcy
Irrespective of the name and fame achieved by Oracle today. Oracle also owns some of the downs to get to the position it stands today. In the 1990s bankruptcy hit Oracle with full force due to some legal lawsuits making them discharge employees. However, this phase soon passed by and Oracle grew stronger and better than before.
6. Co-founder of Oracle- The Richest Man in California
Larry Ellison- The co-founder of Oracle
The 22.5% shareholder of his company, Larry Ellison is titled the richest man in California. The majority of his wealth takes birth from these shares.
Larry Ellison holds a 22.5% share of his company Oracle creates a way for other wealth to be created from the available shares. Along with that, Larry is known to own 98% of an Island. Hawaii’s sixth-largest island, “the Lanai” is estimated to be owned by Larry Ellison.
Along with the beneficiary shares and some splendid properties, Larry Ellison is also known to own two military jets with some number of aircraft. The most interesting point is that he is a certified pilot.
Apart from being rich, Larry is counted amongst the most influential people across the globe. As per the reports, it was rumored that the wedding picture of Larry Ellison and Melanie craft was taken by another most influential personality in the world, “Steve Job”.
Even for a brief period, Larry Ellison topped the list of being the richest person around the world in the year 2000. In addition to that, he was also ranked as the highest-paid CEO on the Forbes list in 2014.
The Golden state warriors, a professional basketball team, is known to be sponsored by the Oracle. The team is in Oakland, California. With its home court at Oracle Arena previously addressed as Oakland Arena.
The first-ever commercial version of Oracle was titled Oracle 2. This was Larry’s idea to make people believe that any unwanted bugs were already dumped out of the product.
Facts about Oracle
8. Oracle and Its Reach to Java
Computer languages are quite complicated to excel at. However, if to be believed. It is estimated that Oracle was the first company to excel at Java Programming. It is believed that Oracle was the first and foremost company to fully embrace Java programming in 1998.
9. The Prime Oracle
Oracle itself is a huge franchise and now stands on the supremacy of owning 57 different companies. With this Oracle as of today has more than 70 million users worldwide.
Contrary to the time of bankruptcy, Oracle now employs 143,000 employees (2022) around the world.
10. The Feud Between Oracle and Google
Oracle is a well-established company highly acknowledged for its terms and policies. Irrespective of the opposite party, Oracle believes in following the rules. In 2010 Oracle sued the world’s popular Google for using Java APIs without the prior consent of Oracle.
11. A Difference in the Thoughts of Two Great Personalities
A deep unknown fact lives that Larry deeply hated Microsoft. Apart from being a proud former CEO, believed that his reasons for hating Microsoft were justifiable. He thought that Bill Gates and Microsoft suppressed the full use of the internet. Moreover, they failed to provide a complete service on the internet. In other words, they were not using the internet to its full capacity but rather were fooling people by misleading them.
Conclusion
Therefore, can it be concluded that for a super successful company it is necessary to have an arrogant CEO? Yes, probably or probably not. But having a clear vision of what we want, and what we are determined for would always help us achieve our goals in the long run. Check the above context for some mind-blowing facts on Oracle.
At the same time leveling up with our rivals, not making the mistake to underestimate them, or giving them any chance to overtake us is what makes us an ultimate competitor. Hence stands “The Oracle” helping this world to keep up the pace with advanced technology and convert every complex 24 hours into simpler and convenient ones.
FAQs
What is Oracle most known for?
The Oracle company is best known for its Oracle database software, a relational database management system.
How did Oracle get its name?
Oracle got its name from the first successfully completed project of the company. The project was given the code name Oracle and then the company was given the same name after the completion of the project.
Is Oracle a top tech company?
Yes, Oracle can be listed amongst the top tech companies across the globe.
Who invented Oracle?
Oracle was invented by the joint efforts of three people named Larry Ellison, Bob Miner, and Ed Oates.
All the businesses and jobs make for the economy. A major factor that plays a huge role in shaping and influencing the global economy is the cream of people in the world.
This cream constitutes the richest people in the world. Anyone who is able to earn well and live a luxurious life is said to be rich. But there are few who have made a mark of richness in the entire world.
There are certain people who are born rich and work hard to make themselves richer. There are also people who start from scratch and create a place of their own.
The most wealthy persons in the world include Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and more. These people occupy a huge place and importance in the whole world.
The factor that determines how rich a person is their net worth. This worth is calculated in terms of monetary values. Higher the net worth, the richer the person is.
What does Net Worth Mean?
In simple economic terms, it is the value of all assets minus all liabilities. It is a difference between what one has and what one owes to others. It is the amount by which the value of a person’s assets exceeds the liabilities.
It is a quantifiable concept. It measures the value of a person, organization, or country. High net worth means good financial strength and a good credit rating of a person or organization. Low net worth means weaker financial strength and lower credit rating.
Most Richest People in The Whole World
The rich are a huge contributor to the global economy. They not only contribute but also are great influencers of the economy and people’s perceptions. Most of these people have used technology for the betterment and enhancement of regular people’s life.
Here are the top five richest people in the world:
Elon Reeve Musk (Elon Musk)
Elon Musk | Richest People in the world
This 50-year-old man, popularly known as the CEO of Tesla Motors, is the richest person in the world. He was born in South Africa and is now an American entrepreneur. He is the co-founder of PayPal (PYPL), Neuralink, and OpenAI.
Elon Musk is the founder, CEO, Chief engineer, and designer of the famous (Space exploration technologies) SpaceX. He is also the founder of the Boring Company. He started his entrepreneurial journey with the startup, Zip2.
Since then, this man has not stopped exploring the field of technology and has made himself the richest in the world. At present, he has a net worth of 24,930 crores USD.
He is an entrepreneur, computer engineer, investor, and commercial astronaut, born in New Mexico in the year 1964. Jeff Bezos is the founder of our beloved Amazon. The name that brought a revolution in the electronic commerce industry.
Jeff Bezos has been the CEO of Amazon from the beginning to the year 2021. Now, he is the executive chairman of Amazon. He also possesses his space company, Blue Origin. He made news all around the world for his trip to space in his company-built rocket.
He enjoyed the first rank in the list for around three years and was put back by Musk last year. He has a current net worth of 18,400 crores USD.
He has a major ownership share in Christian Dior that makes for most of his net worth. Other assets that contribute to his wealth include equity in Hermes, Moelis & Company, and cash.
The French tycoon has gained great popularity and earned a big place on the list. He has a current net worth of 18,960 crores USD.
He is a software developer, businessman, and author. He was born in the year 1955 in Seattle. He is the co-founder of Microsoft. It is the biggest software company in the world.
The company makes personal computers, phones, servers, software development tools, intelligent devices, and more. Bill apart from his business achievements, is a great philanthropist. He has helped a lot in the fight against Ebola, malaria, polio, and covid-19.
Besides his ownership share in Microsoft, his other huge net-worthy asset is Cascade Investment LLC. At present, Bill Gates has a net worth of 13,140 crores USD.
Lawrence Edward Page (Larry Page)
Larry Page | Richest People in the world
A person who has made people’s lives so convenient is Larry Page. He is a computer scientist and internet entrepreneur born in the year 1973 in Michigan, USA. He is popular for being the co-founder of Google.
Google is like a household name for the entire world. Over the years, it has acquired YouTube and Android. Last year it saw a fifty percent rise in its shares.
Larry became a multi-billionaire at the mere age of twenty-seven years. He has a keen interest in space and flying cars. Larry Page has invested in the related companies. Currently, he has a net worth of 11,670 crores USD.
Warren Edward Buffett (Warren Buffett)
Warren Buffett | Richest People in the world
He is a businessman and a keen investor born in Nebraska, the USA in 1930. Warren Buffett is the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, a company that has its subsidiaries in insurance, energy generation, manufacturing, and many more.
Warren is famous for being a buy-and-hold investor who has made his huge wealth by gaining undervalued companies. Many books, movies, and documentaries have been made inspired by Buffett.
He is one of the best and most renowned investors of all time in the world. His current net worth stands at 11,380 crores USD.
Sergey Mikhaylovich Brin (Sergey Brin)
Sergey Brin | Richest People in the world
He is a computer scientist, businessman, and popular internet entrepreneur. He was born in Moscow, Russia in 1973. Sergey Brin is the man who co-founded Google with Larry.
Brin is no longer the president of Alphabet, the parent company of Google. But he continues to be a controlling shareholder and board member.
He stands two steps down his co-founder in the list with a net worth of 10,700 crores USD.
Lawrence Joseph Ellison (Larry Ellison)
Larry Ellison | Richest People in the world
He is a businessman, entrepreneur, and investor born in New York, the USA in 1944. Larry Ellison is popularly known as the co-founder and former CEO of the renowned software company, Oracle corporations.
The businessman serves as the chairman and Chief Technology Officer at Oracle. The company is the second-largest software company in the world. With time, they acquired many other companies in different fields.
Larry is also an equity holder in Tesla and has a net worth of 10,300 crores USD.
Steve Anthony Ballmer (Steve Ballmer)
He is a businessman and investor born in the year 1956, hailing from Michigan, USA. At present, he owns National Basketball Association’s Los Angeles Clippers. Steve Ballmer is also known to be famous for being the CEO of Microsoft for fourteen years.
He still is the biggest individual shareholder in Microsoft of 4%. He and Gates studied together at Harvard University.
This American businessman has made great progress over the year and has a net worth of 9,260 crores USD.
Mukesh Dhirubhai Ambani (Mukesh Ambani)
Mukesh Ambani | Richest People in the world
He is a popular billionaire businessman in India. He was born in Aden, Yemen in 1957 but was brought up in Mumbai, India. Mukesh Ambani is the Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries, the company with the largest market value in India.
He dropped out of Stanford University to come back to India and work towards the expansion of Reliance. The company has indeed expanded to its great potential especially in retail and telecommunications under his direction.
Mukesh is the only Indian who stands among the top ten richest people in the world with a net worth of 9,160 crores USD.
Why does the Position of These People changes?
The position of these people on the list does not stay intact forever. It keeps on changing. The net worth of these people is not only because of themselves but also has the contribution of regular people.
A large amount of their wealth is in publicly traded stocks. The stock market as we know has its fair share of highs and lows. So, the changes in market valuations, and assets & liabilities lead to changes in the net worth of the richest people in the world.
Elon for example made it to the top because of the massive rise in share prices of Tesla. So, the share market plays a huge role in determining the position that a rich person holds.
Conclusion
The richest cream of people in the world plays a huge role in building the economy. These also act as role models for many people who wish to be like them one day. Their journeys consist of hard work, execution, an eye for opportunities, overcoming obstacles, and a non-give-up attitude.
The above-mentioned are the top 5 richest persons in the world. These men have created revolutions in their fields and made it to where they are today.
FAQs
Who are the top 5 richest people in the world?
The top 5 richest people in the world are:
Elon Musk
Jeff Bezos
Bernard Arnault
Bill Gates
Larry Page
What is the net worth of Elon Musk?
Elon Musk has a net worth of 249 Billion.
What is the net worth of Jeff Bezos?
Jeff Bezos has an estimated net worth of $184 billion.
Larry Ellison is an American Entrepreneur, Investor, and Philanthropist. He is the co-founder, Executive Chairman and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Oracle Corporation, an American multinational computer technology corporation. He was also the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Oracle Corporation from 1977 to 2014. In November 2016, he bought NetSuite for $9.3 billion and owns 35% of the company’s interests. Forbes magazine listed him as the fourth-wealthiest person in the U.S and as the sixth wealthiest person in the world, on October 2019 with a net worth of $69.1 billion. In 2021, Larry Ellison is one of the $100 billion-dollar people in the world with a net worth currently around $110 billion-dollar
Larry Ellison- Biography
Name
Lawrence Joseph Ellison
Born
17 August, 1944
Birthplace
New York City, U.S.
Age
77 (2021)
Nationality
American
Education
University of Illinois; University of Chicago
Profession
Entrepreneur, Investor, Philanthropist
Position
Co-founder, Executive Chairman and CTO of Oracle Corporation
Larry was born to a Jewish maiden. His biological father was an Italian-American United States Army Air Corps pilot. Larry corrugated pneumonia at the age of nine months and his mother gave him to her aunt and uncle for adoption.
He moved to Chicago South Shore and his adoptive mother was warm and loving contrary to his distant adoptive father. At age 22, he moved to Berkeley, California in 1966. He has been married and divorced four times.
Larry Ellison- Education
Larry completed his elementary studies at South Shore High School in Chicago. He was later enrolled as a premed student from the University of Illinois at Urban-Champaign. He was entitled science student of the year at Illinois.
He withdrew from the University without appearing for final exams as his adoptive mother has just died. He was then admitted to the University of Chicago for one term to study physics and mathematics. He did not appear for any exams in Chicago and first encountered computer design.
Larry Ellison- Professional Life
Larry initially worked at Ampex in the early 1970s, he was highly influenced by Edgar F. Codd’s research on relational database design. This was the design that led in 1977 to the establishment of what became Oracle. He initially started off by naming the firm as Software Development Laboratories (SDL) along with two other partners. He established the company with a personal investment of $1,200 of the total $2,000.
The company was renamed in 1979 as Relational Software Inc. and in 1983, it officially became Oracle Systems Corporation after his flagship project named Oracle Database. In December 2018, he became a Director on the board of Tesla, Inc. after buying 3 million shares in 2017.
Larry co-founded Oracle Corporation with Bob Miner and Edward A. Oates. The company was founded on 16 June 1977 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas, United States. Larry is the Executive Chairman and CTO of Oracle Corporation.
It is an American multinational computer technology corporation that sells database software and technology, cloud engineered systems and enterprise software products. In 2019, Oracle was the second-largest software company on the basis of revenue and market capitalization.
It also provides tools for database development and systems of middle-tier software, enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, Human Capital Management (HCM) software, customer management (CRM) software, and supply chain management (SCM) software.
Larry Ellison- Philanthropist
Larry donated $5 million to seed the Lawrence J. Ellison Musculo-Skeletal Research Center. The following year the health care centre opened another medical centre with the seed amount. He further donated $100 million to his own charitable foundation.
In 2004, Forbes’ list of charitable donations made by the wealthiest 400 Americans stated Larry had donated $151,092,103, about 1% of his estimated personal wealth. In 2007, he donated $500,000 to reinforce a community centre in Sderot, Israel after discovering that the building was not fortified against rocket attacks.
In August 2010, it has been reported Larry was one of the 40 billionaires who had signed “The Giving Pledge” campaign, pledging to contribute the majority of his wealth for philanthropic causes. In May 2016, he donated $200 million to the University of Southern California for launching a cancer research centre.
He played a brief cameo appearance in the 2010 movie Iron Man 2. He is a licensed pilot and has owned several aircraft. He owns at least two military jets, a training aircraft designed in Italy and a decommissioned one, which the US government has refused him permission to import. He also owns the Indian Wells Tennis Garden located in California and the Indian Wells Masters tournament.
Moreover, he ended his ownership of the 12th largest yacht in the world, called Rising Sun. He also competes in yachting through his Oracle Team USA. He founded BMW Oracle Racing to compete for the 2003 Louis Vuitton Cup. In 2002, his Oracle team introduced kite yachting into the American Cup environment.