Lawrence Ellison (born August 17, 1944) is an American billionaire businessman best known as the co-founder of Oracle Corporation, where he served as CEO from 1977 to 2014 and now holds the roles of CTO and executive chairman. As of early 2026, his net worth is estimated at $201–203 billion, and he briefly became the world's wealthiest person in September 2025 when a surge in Oracle's stock pushed his fortune to $393 billion. Beyond software, Ellison is famous for owning 98% of the Hawaiian island of Lānaʻi, holding a $19 billion stake in Tesla, and controlling the media conglomerate Paramount Skydance, which is managed by his son David. Born in New York City and adopted as an infant, he grew up in Chicago, studied at the University of Illinois and the University of Chicago, and began his career as a programmer. Inspired by Edgar F. Codd's work on relational databases, he co-founded Software Development Laboratories in 1977 with just $1,200 of his own money—a venture that would eventually grow into the tech giant Oracle.