For most of his illustrious career, Larry Ellison has been content to let Oracle remain the quiet yet powerful backbone of technology. The company is renowned for its pivotal contributions to cloud computing and database products, serving enterprise giants such as DHL, Northwell Health, and Fanatics. However, as Ellison enters his 80s, he is embarking on a new chapter, making a striking transition from a Silicon Valley pioneer to a formidable presence in the media landscape.
Compared to many of his contemporaries on the Forbes Billionaires list, Larry Ellison maintains a relatively low profile. While he has certainly made headlines—especially in recent years—neither he nor Oracle finds itself embroiled in congressional hearings or facing accusations of societal harm. Nevertheless, throughout his career, Ellison has garnered a reputation for being ruthless, with biographer Karen Southwick labeling him a “modern-day Genghis Khan” in her book, Everyone Else Must Fail: The Unvarnished Truth About Oracle and Larry Ellison. This 2003 publication characterized Ellison as a leader willing to go to great lengths for absolute control, including purging executives who oppose him and engaging in hostile takeovers.
Ellison's foray into the media sector began modestly, backing Annapurna Pictures and Skydance Productions, companies founded by his children, Megan and David Ellison. While these companies initially took small steps, they have since become significant players in television and video games. In 2018, Ellison briefly expanded his influence at Annapurna as the studio grappled with substantial debt. Although his daily operational role remains unclear, he orchestrated a reorganization, facilitated a deal to clear $200 million in debt, and revamped Annapurna's financing model to attract project-specific investors.
In 2022, Ellison made headlines again by providing Elon Musk with $1 billion to assist in Musk's acquisition of Twitter, now rebranded as X. Furthermore, Skydance Media recently merged with Paramount, forming a media conglomerate with unparalleled reach. While David Ellison is the nominal head of Paramount, it is Larry who retains ultimate control, giving him ownership stakes in major entities such as CBS, Paramount+, and numerous movie studios, alongside popular pay-TV channels like Nickelodeon and Showtime.
Currently, Oracle is set to acquire a substantial portion of TikTok in the US. Although many details of the deal remain unclear, recent reports highlight that it is unlikely to alleviate the national security concerns surrounding TikTok. Instead, as noted by Clare Malone in a recent New Yorker article, this acquisition may further bolster the growing media empire of the Ellison family—who have shown a strong alignment with right-wing politics.
Critics may downplay the Ellison family's media empire as "emerging," but with Paramount Skydance already recognized as one of the largest media conglomerates globally, the family's influence is undeniable. Recent rumors suggest David Ellison is in discussions to acquire Bari Weiss’ The Free Press, with plans for Weiss to potentially take on a leading role at CBS News. Weiss, often presenting herself as a centrist provocateur, aligns closely with the current administration's interests, further solidifying the family’s political connections.
As Oracle reportedly seeks to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, the potential merger would grant the Ellison family ownership over another major movie studio and streaming service, HBO Max, along with CNN and more. This unprecedented scope of ownership raises eyebrows and showcases the family's ambition to expand their media reach. Notably, Larry Ellison's wealth, which can fluctuate by up to $100 billion in a single day, provides him with the financial freedom to pursue these ventures without the constraints that typically limit other media moguls.
Although Ellison has not yet demonstrated a robust desire to manage a media company, his immense wealth and influence position him to shape the industry significantly. With Oracle's access to vast amounts of American medical and financial data, the construction of major AI data centers, and the acquisition of a traditional media conglomerate, Ellison is rapidly evolving from a relatively low-key tech CEO to one of the world's most influential figures. As his political views seem to lean more conspiratorial, the future of both Oracle and Ellison's media empire will be closely watched.
