A look inside the daily life of Oracle's billionaire founder Larry Ellison

Larry Ellison kissing trophy sailing Oracle

Larry Ellison likes to win — and he’s good at it.

According to Forbes, the tech mogul recently got $5 billion richer over the course of just two days.

Ellison came from a poor background and dropped out of college twice. In what proved to be a true “rags to riches” story, the billionaire cofounded software company Oracle in 1977 and acquired a reputation as Silicon Valley’s bad boy in the ensuing decades.

But what does Ellison — whom Forbes estimated is worth $61.5 billion— get up to every day since stepping down as Oracle’s CEO in 2014? Make no mistake, the tech mogul isn’t retired — he’s still the company’s chief technology officer and chairman.

Here’s a look at the daily life of Oracle founder Larry Ellison:

The 72-year-old billionaire is no stranger to controversy. Ellison acquired a reputation for hyper-competitive behavior when he ran Oracle.

Sources: Business Insider, Complex

This included hiring investigators to search through garbage from the office of his rival, Bill Gates.

Sources: Business Insider, Complex

“It’s absolutely true we set out to expose Microsoft’s covert activities… I feel very good about what we did … Maybe our investigation organization may have done things unsavory, but it’s not illegal. We got the truth out,” Ellison said.

Sources: Business Insider, Complex

At work, Ellison doesn’t rely on productivity hacks to get ahead. What keeps him going is a self-described addiction to winning.

Sources: Business Insider, “Organizational Behavior“

Despite dropping out of college twice, the billionaire is focused on “constant learning.”

Sources: Business Insider, “Organizational Behavior“

As CEO, he was known to motivate employees by giving out gold coins as bonuses, according to Don Hellriegel and John Slocum’s “Organizational Behavior.”

Sources: Business Insider, “Organizational Behavior“

Hellriegel and Slocum also reported that, while Ellison was a “control freak,” his methods helped Oracle soar.

Sources: Business Insider, “Organizational Behavior“

While it would appear that Ellison has a packed schedule, not much is known about his bedtime ritual or sleeping habits. However, during his time helming Oracle, he was a bit of a night owl.

Source: “Softwar: An Intimate Portrait of Larry Ellison and Oracle“

According to Matthew Symonds’ “Softwar: An Intimate Portrait of Larry Ellison and Oracle,” Ellison sometimes wouldn’t make it home from the office until midnight.

Source: “Softwar: An Intimate Portrait of Larry Ellison and Oracle“

Ellison spends some of his free time writing short stories.

Sources: Mercury News, Business Insider

He has no plans to publish his work just yet. “I think I’ll wait until I retire and break those out,” Ellison has said. “I write plays and short stories, and they would be controversial. I’m controversial enough without adding that to the mix.”

Sources: Mercury News, Business Insider

Dubbed by the Wall Street Journal as “the nation’s most avid trophy-home buyer” in 2011, Ellison enjoys an impressive real estate portfolio. His $70 million house in Woodside, California, is modeled off ancient Japanese palaces.

Sources: The Wall Street Journal, Business Insider

He also snapped 98% of the Hawaiian island of Lanai and owns as many as two dozen properties in Malibu, California.

Source: Business Insider

The Oracle chairman travels between them in style. Ellison is a licensed pilot and owns two jets: a decommissioned Mikoyan MiG-29, and a former Soviet Union air force plane.

Sources: Inc., NBC

What’s more, Buzzfeed reported that Ellison purchased an animal rescue center in Hawaii that houses about 400 feral cats — although he has yet to visit.

Source: Buzzfeed

Ellison’s intensity seeps into aspects of his life beyond his work. An avid sailor, the billionaire founded Oracle Team USA, a yacht racing syndicate.

Sources: New York Times, Mercury News

Since 2003, the team has competed in numerous America’s Cup match races, taking the prize in 2010 and 2013. In the 2017 race, however, Ellison’s champion sailors lost the America’s Cup to the New Zealand team.

Sources: New York Times, Mercury News

Yachting isn’t the only activity Ellison seems to enjoy. He runs the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament.

Sources: The New York Times, Business Insider

Ellison also unsuccessfully attempted to purchase several NBA teams, including The Memphis Grizzlies, the Golden State Warriors, and the New Orleans Hornets.

Sources: The New York Times, Business Insider

“I enjoy the competition and the process of learning as we compete,” Ellison said at a 2012 D10 conference. “The whole thing is just fascinating. I don’t know what I’ll do when I retire.”

Source: Business Insider

A look inside the daily life of Oracle's billionaire founder Larry Ellison

The 72-year-old billionaire is no stranger to controversy. Ellison acquired a reputation for hyper-competitive behavior when he ran Oracle.

This included hiring investigators to search through garbage from the office of his rival, Bill Gates.

“It’s absolutely true we set out to expose Microsoft’s covert activities… I feel very good about what we did … Maybe our investigation organization may have done things unsavory, but it’s not illegal. We got the truth out,” Ellison said.

At work, Ellison doesn’t rely on productivity hacks to get ahead. What keeps him going is a self-described addiction to winning.

Despite dropping out of college twice, the billionaire is focused on “constant learning.”

As CEO, he was known to motivate employees by giving out gold coins as bonuses, according to Don Hellriegel and John Slocum’s “Organizational Behavior.”

Hellriegel and Slocum also reported that, while Ellison was a “control freak,” his methods helped Oracle soar.

While it would appear that Ellison has a packed schedule, not much is known about his bedtime ritual or sleeping habits. However, during his time helming Oracle, he was a bit of a night owl.

According to Matthew Symonds’ “Softwar: An Intimate Portrait of Larry Ellison and Oracle,” Ellison sometimes wouldn’t make it home from the office until midnight.

Ellison spends some of his free time writing short stories.

He has no plans to publish his work just yet. “I think I’ll wait until I retire and break those out,” Ellison has said. “I write plays and short stories, and they would be controversial. I’m controversial enough without adding that to the mix.”

Dubbed by the Wall Street Journal as “the nation’s most avid trophy-home buyer” in 2011, Ellison enjoys an impressive real estate portfolio. His $70 million house in Woodside, California, is modeled off ancient Japanese palaces.

He also snapped 98% of the Hawaiian island of Lanai and owns as many as two dozen properties in Malibu, California.

The Oracle chairman travels between them in style. Ellison is a licensed pilot and owns two jets: a decommissioned Mikoyan MiG-29, and a former Soviet Union air force plane.

What’s more, Buzzfeed reported that Ellison purchased an animal rescue center in Hawaii that houses about 400 feral cats — although he has yet to visit.

Ellison’s intensity seeps into aspects of his life beyond his work. An avid sailor, the billionaire founded Oracle Team USA, a yacht racing syndicate.

Since 2003, the team has competed in numerous America’s Cup match races, taking the prize in 2010 and 2013. In the 2017 race, however, Ellison’s champion sailors lost the America’s Cup to the New Zealand team.

Yachting isn’t the only activity Ellison seems to enjoy. He runs the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament.

Ellison also unsuccessfully attempted to purchase several NBA teams, including The Memphis Grizzlies, the Golden State Warriors, and the New Orleans Hornets.

“I enjoy the competition and the process of learning as we compete,” Ellison said at a 2012 D10 conference. “The whole thing is just fascinating. I don’t know what I’ll do when I retire.”

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A look inside the daily life of Oracle's billionaire founder Larry Ellison

The 72-year-old billionaire is no stranger to controversy. Ellison acquired a reputation for hyper-competitive behavior when he ran Oracle.

This included hiring investigators to search through garbage from the office of his rival, Bill Gates.

“It’s absolutely true we set out to expose Microsoft’s covert activities… I feel very good about what we did … Maybe our investigation organization may have done things unsavory, but it’s not illegal. We got the truth out,” Ellison said.

At work, Ellison doesn’t rely on productivity hacks to get ahead. What keeps him going is a self-described addiction to winning.

Despite dropping out of college twice, the billionaire is focused on “constant learning.”

As CEO, he was known to motivate employees by giving out gold coins as bonuses, according to Don Hellriegel and John Slocum’s “Organizational Behavior.”

Hellriegel and Slocum also reported that, while Ellison was a “control freak,” his methods helped Oracle soar.

While it would appear that Ellison has a packed schedule, not much is known about his bedtime ritual or sleeping habits. However, during his time helming Oracle, he was a bit of a night owl.

According to Matthew Symonds’ “Softwar: An Intimate Portrait of Larry Ellison and Oracle,” Ellison sometimes wouldn’t make it home from the office until midnight.

Ellison spends some of his free time writing short stories.

He has no plans to publish his work just yet. “I think I’ll wait until I retire and break those out,” Ellison has said. “I write plays and short stories, and they would be controversial. I’m controversial enough without adding that to the mix.”

Dubbed by the Wall Street Journal as “the nation’s most avid trophy-home buyer” in 2011, Ellison enjoys an impressive real estate portfolio. His $70 million house in Woodside, California, is modeled off ancient Japanese palaces.

He also snapped 98% of the Hawaiian island of Lanai and owns as many as two dozen properties in Malibu, California.

The Oracle chairman travels between them in style. Ellison is a licensed pilot and owns two jets: a decommissioned Mikoyan MiG-29, and a former Soviet Union air force plane.

What’s more, Buzzfeed reported that Ellison purchased an animal rescue center in Hawaii that houses about 400 feral cats — although he has yet to visit.

Ellison’s intensity seeps into aspects of his life beyond his work. An avid sailor, the billionaire founded Oracle Team USA, a yacht racing syndicate.

Since 2003, the team has competed in numerous America’s Cup match races, taking the prize in 2010 and 2013. In the 2017 race, however, Ellison’s champion sailors lost the America’s Cup to the New Zealand team.

Yachting isn’t the only activity Ellison seems to enjoy. He runs the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament.

Ellison also unsuccessfully attempted to purchase several NBA teams, including The Memphis Grizzlies, the Golden State Warriors, and the New Orleans Hornets.

“I enjoy the competition and the process of learning as we compete,” Ellison said at a 2012 D10 conference. “The whole thing is just fascinating. I don’t know what I’ll do when I retire.”

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