The Journal. – “How Larry Ellison (Briefly) Became the World’s Richest Person” (September 18, 2025)
Episode Overview
In this episode, hosts Ryan Knudsen and Sebastian Herrera unpack the meteoric resurgence of Larry Ellison, the 81-year-old founder of Oracle. Once considered a “has-been” in Silicon Valley, Ellison recently became – albeit briefly – the richest person in the world, buoyed by Oracle’s record-breaking stock surge following a string of massive AI deals. The episode explores Ellison’s journey from underdog to tech titan, his colorful personality, Oracle’s strategic pivots, his growing influence across Hollywood and social media, and his close relationships in both business and politics.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Larry Ellison’s Sudden Return to the Spotlight
- Explosive Increase in Net Worth: Oracle’s stock spike, after new AI deals, temporarily made Ellison the world’s richest person.
- Unlikely Household Name: Despite transforming the tech world, Ellison’s profile has historically been lower than peers like Gates or Musk.
“A lot of people forgot about Larry Ell, and that’s just because Oracle, his company, hasn’t really been very relevant until recently.”
— Sebastian Herrera [00:29]
2. Oracle’s Big AI Move
- Record-Breaking Contracts: Oracle signed a $300 billion cloud computing contract with OpenAI, as well as deals with other AI giants.
- Stock Surge: The resulting investor excitement saw Oracle’s stock shoot up more than 100% in 2025, adding nearly $89 billion to Ellison’s fortune in a single day.
“We have signed significant cloud contracts with the who’s who of AI, including OpenAI, XAI, Meta…”
— Ken (Oracle earnings call) [10:02]
- Late Arrival, Big Advantage: Oracle’s delayed entry into cloud computing ironically positioned it perfectly for the AI boom—making its data centers the “go-to place for AI workloads.”
3. The Man Behind the Company
- Humble Beginnings: Raised by his aunt and uncle in Chicago after being given up for adoption at birth, Ellison saw his early hardships as “disadvantages necessary for success.”
“All the disadvantages necessary for success. You know, when you’re raised on the south side of Chicago, you probably want to move someplace nicer.”
— Larry Ellison [03:34]
- Competitive Streak: Famous for his love of winning and pushing his own limits.
“I like to compete and I like to discover my own limits. I like to test my own limits.”
— Larry Ellison (2013 interview) [02:50]
- Extravagant Personality: Owns almost all of Lanai island in Hawaii, a mega yacht with a dedicated basketball retriever boat, two fighter jets (used for mock dogfights with his son), and is a champion sailor.
4. Oracle’s Rocky Decade—and Comeback
- Out-of-Favor: Through the 2010s, Oracle was commonly viewed as a dated “has-been” tech company, with Ellison missing the first cloud computing wave.
“Frankly, throughout the 2010s, very few people were mentioning Oracle, aside from just this clunky technology company…”
— Sebastian Herrera [07:42]
- Skeptical About “The Cloud”: Ellison famously derided early cloud computing as “insane” and “gibberish.”
— Quoted by Ryan Knudsen at [07:15]
- Pivot to Cloud for AI: Once Oracle embraced cloud computing, it tailored its offerings towards the AI training space—turning slowness into strategic clarity.
5. Political & Social Influence
- Political Connections: Ellison is personally close to Donald Trump, playing a role in ongoing negotiations over the US ownership of TikTok.
“Trump has shown a desire for Larry Ellison to purchase TikTok. And even as Donald Trump has sought to sell TikTok to US investors, he sees Larry Ellison as someone who can really step up…”
— Sebastian Herrera [12:23]
- Deal for TikTok: Oracle is finalizing a deal to lead an American consortium to own 80% of a new US-based TikTok.
6. Move Into Hollywood
- Paramount Takeover: Ellison helped finance his son David Ellison’s purchase of Paramount Global, including CBS and Nickelodeon.
- Trump's Praise: Trump publicly praised David Ellison’s acquisition and new leadership roles at CBS.
- Potential Warner Bros. Deal: The Ellison family is rumored to be preparing a bid for Warner Brothers Discovery, which could reshape the media landscape by merging with Paramount.
“If they’re able to pull that deal off, they will own a huge part of Hollywood.”
— Sebastian Herrera [14:14]
7. Longevity and Legacy
- Not Slowing Down: Despite being 81, Ellison continues to invest in life-extension research and technologies.
“He’s talked about death as something that doesn’t really make sense to him…he wants to stick around. He wants to be relevant. He wants to be a part of this game as long as he can.”
— Sebastian Herrera [15:07]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
“I think if it doesn’t kill you, it makes you stronger. So I’ve always been very ambitious. I’ve always been very curious.”
— Larry Ellison [03:48] -
“Analysts and investors that were on Oracle’s earnings call that day, they were just dumbfounded.”
— Sebastian Herrera [10:34] -
“Oracle was officially back.”
— Ryan Knudsen [11:02] -
On Ellison’s playfulness: “He actually has a boat that chases the mega yacht that retrieves balls when they…go and miss from the hoop.”
— Sebastian Herrera [05:39]
Timestamps – Important Segments
- [00:05] Opening: Larry Ellison’s sudden ascent to world’s richest
- [01:27] Why Larry Ellison is "the man of the hour"
- [03:03] Ellison’s background and self-image as an underdog
- [04:24] Early days of Oracle and 80s/90s boom
- [05:01] Ellison’s colorful personal life
- [07:03] Oracle misses the cloud wave; “has-been” status
- [08:15] Oracle’s pivot to cloud and affinity for AI market
- [09:44] The record-breaking Oracle earnings call and stock surge
- [11:02] Oracle’s status and Ellison’s brief position as world’s richest
- [11:48] Ellison’s political connections, especially with Trump and TikTok
- [12:45] The TikTok US ownership deal
- [13:25] Ellison family and the Paramount takeover
- [14:04] Potential bid for Warner Brothers Discovery
- [15:07] Ellison’s investment in longevity and determination to stay relevant
Conclusion
This episode paints Ellison as both an emblem of tech’s ability to reinvent and a personality who thrives on competition, spectacle, and influence across multiple domains. From humble beginnings to mega deals in AI and Hollywood, Ellison’s ambitions—and portfolio—are bigger than ever, making him not just a comeback story, but a case study in relentless reinvention and power.