Larry Ellison: College Dropout And World's 2nd Richest Man

Larry Ellison, co-founder and chief technology officer of Oracle Corp. ORCL, has led a life full of remarkable and lesser-known accomplishments. 

Last week, he even achieved the rank of world's richest man, briefly edging past Elon Musk for the title. 

• ORCL stock skyrocketed last week. See the details here. 

Here are five more surprising facts many people may not know about Ellison:

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Surprising Origins

• Adopted and double dropout: Ellison was born to a single mother in New York and adopted by his aunt and uncle in Chicago after contracting pneumonia as a baby. He dropped out of the University of Illinois and later the University of Chicago and never received a college degree.

Founding Oracle with $2K

• Started Oracle with just $2,000: Ellison co-founded what would become Oracle in 1977 with only $2,000 of his own money and a $50,000 government contract from the CIA.

Island Owner and Health Utopian

• Owns almost an entire Hawaiian island: In 2012, Ellison purchased 98% of Lanai, Hawaii for about $300 million. He lives there and is working to turn the island into a model for wellness, sustainability and green living.

Hollywood Cameo

• Appeared in "Iron Man 2": Ellison had a cameo as himself in the film "Iron Man 2," where he was playfully called the "Oracle of Oracle."

Tech Investments and Philanthropy

• Early investor in Tesla and Salesforce: Beyond Oracle, Ellison was an early investor in companies like Tesla—now among its largest individual shareholders—and Salesforce. 
• Ellison has committed large donations to cancer research and AI-driven healthcare.

At 81 years old, Ellison remains a central figure at Oracle and the broader tech industry, while showing no sign of stepping back.

Read Next: 

• Oracle Stock Rockets On $455 Billion Revenue Pipeline: Here’s What Wall Street Is Buzzing About 

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