Biography
Larry Ellison was born in New York City and raised in Chicago by his adoptive aunt and uncle. Ellison attended the University of Illinois and the University of Chicago but did not finish a degree. Ellison moved to California in the mid-1960s and worked as a programmer at several companies, including Ampex, where he worked on a database project for the CIA code-named “Oracle.”
| Full name | Lawrence Joseph Ellison |
| Born | August 17, 1944, New York City (age 82) |
| Known for | Co-founder, chairman and chief technology officer of Oracle |
| Net worth | About $178 billion (Bloomberg, mid-October 2026) |
| Peak net worth | About $393 billion (Bloomberg) / $401 billion (Forbes), September 2025 |
| Children | David Ellison and Megan Ellison, plus reportedly four young children with his current wife |
Larry Ellison Net Worth
Ellison fortune moves with Oracle share price, since he owns a large stake in the company. It has swung wildly in the past year:
September 2025: businessnewtrend.co.uk put him at $393 billion, edging past Elon Musk to become the world’s richest person, on the largest single-day wealth gain the index had recorded. Business New Trend valued him at $401 billion.
April 2026: His wealth dipped to $195 billion on weak stock performance, leaving him sixth on the index.
June 2026: He recovered to $302 billion, making him the world’s third richest person.
October 2026: Bloomberg data from October 16 shows $178 billion, down roughly 52% from about $372 billion a year earlier.
The most recent figure I found is about $178 billion, but it changes with every trading day, so check the live Bloomberg or Forbes tracker for today’s number. The two indexes also differ because of methodology and valuation timing.
Larry Ellison Career
1977: He co-founded Software Development Laboratories with Bob Miner and Ed Oates, building a commercial relational database. The company later took the name Oracle.
During the CEO era: he was CEO of Oracle until 2014, at which point he became executive chairman and chief technology officer.
AI and cloud push: The AI boom has driven renewed investor interest in Oracle and large swings in his fortune
Other roles: He served on Tesla’s board from 2018 to 2022 and has backed ventures in health and science, including the Ellison Institute of Technology in Oxford.
Lifestyle
Ellison is known for expensive passions. He owns most of the Hawaiian island of Lanai, which he bought in 2012. He also owns the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament in Indian Wells and has backed America’s Cup and SailGP sailing teams. He has a Palm Beach presence as well, and he is a signatory of the Giving Pledge.
Family
Sources disagree on the count. Some outlets call his current marriage his fifth, while the South China Morning Post calls it his sixth. His wives have included Barbara Boothe, Melanie Craft and Nikita Kahn. Jolin Zhu, a University of Michigan graduate, was publicly referred to as his wife by a Michigan donor group in November 2024. The wedding date hasn’t been confirmed, and some reports suggest 2023.
His children David (owner of Paramount and Skydance) and Megan (founder of Annapurna Pictures) are from his marriage to Barbara Boothe. One report says he also has four young children with Zhu. In December 2025 he guaranteed about $40 billion in support of his son’s Paramount bid for Warner Bros. Discovery. Later reports said Paramount was poised to win after Netflix dropped its bid, so check recent news for the outcome
Conclusion
Larry Ellison turned a database company into a fortune that has repeatedly placed him among the richest people on earth. His wealth is highly volatile because it’s tied to Oracle’s stock, and his family’s growing media holdings add another dimension to his influence.
FAQs
How much is Larry Ellison worth in 2026?
About $178 billion as of mid-October 2026 per Bloomberg, down from a 2025 peak near $393 to $401 billion.
How old is he?
He is 82.
Is he still Oracle’s CEO?
No. In 2014, he resigned as CEO, but he continues to serve as chairman and chief technology officer.
Who are his children?
David Ellison and Megan Ellison are his best-known children. Reports also mention younger children with his current wife.
Why does his net worth change so much?
Most of his wealth is Oracle stock, so large moves in the share price, often AI-driven, shift his fortune by tens of billions.