At 81, Larry Ellison has spent half a century shaping the digital economy. 2025 has marked a new crest in both his fortune and his influence. His son David, now a Hollywood power player, is following a parallel trajectory in media, together they embody a new blend of business clout and political reach.
A Tech Founder Who Refused to Fade
Larry Ellison co-founded Oracle in 1977 and built it into one of the world’s dominant database and enterprise-software providers. Unlike many first-generation tech leaders who retired or became passive investors, Ellison kept an active hand on the wheel as chairman and chief technology strategist.
In recent years, Oracle’s bold pivot into cloud computing and artificial-intelligence infrastructure has been rewarded by investors. A sharp rally in the company’s stock this year briefly pushed Ellison ahead of Elon Musk on the global wealth tables, a symbolic milestone that underscored how crucial AI infrastructure has become to the economy.
Because Ellison still owns a large block of Oracle shares, every jump in the company’s market value translates into a surge in his personal fortune, and strengthens his leverage in boardrooms and policy circles alike.
A Media Mogul in the Making
While Larry dominates in software and cloud technology, his son David Ellison has built a career in storytelling.
After founding Skydance Media in 2010, David moved from producing blockbuster films to mounting ambitious plans for mergers and expansions that could make him one of the most influential media executives in the United States.
With his father’s backing, David has been pursuing deals that would consolidate production, streaming, and theatrical distribution assets under Skydance’s banner. Industry analysts say the combination of deep-pocketed family capital and David’s relationships in Hollywood positions him as a formidable rival to legacy studios.
A Pivotal Role in the TikTok U S Deal
Larry Ellison’s influence now extends well beyond enterprise software.
He is a leading investor in the consortium preparing to acquire and oversee most of TikTok’s American business under a framework cleared by a recent White House order. The arrangement aims to put U S user data under domestic control and address long-running national-security concerns about the app’s Chinese ownership.
Oracle’s cloud and cybersecurity resources are expected to form the backbone of TikTok U S operations. Analysts see Ellison’s involvement as proof that the future of global platforms will be shaped as much by established U S tech giants as by startups.
Political Connections as a Force Multiplier
Ellison’s ties to Donald Trump, visible during the former president’s first term and again in the current administration, have amplified his standing in Washington.
Public records show that Oracle and Ellison-linked entities have been significant donors and active lobbyists around government-cloud, data-security and procurement policies.
This alignment of business opportunity and political access has sparked debate about the balance of private influence and public oversight in technology governance. Critics warn of the risks when a few billionaire executives have both the technical platforms and the political relationships to steer the rules.
A Family Legacy of Cross-Sector Power
The father-and-son story is about more than wealth rankings.
Larry Ellison represents the first wave of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs who built critical infrastructure for the digital age; David embodies the next wave of leaders shaping global culture and entertainment.
Their combined ventures, from AI-driven cloud services to mass-audience media properties, give the Ellisons influence over both the technologies that move information and the stories that define it.
As AI, data-security policy and media consolidation dominate political and economic debate, the Ellisons’ parallel rise illustrates how fortunes made in technology can be leveraged to shape culture and even geopolitics.
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