The Ellison Empire: How Larry and His Son David Ascended to Unprecedented Wealth and Political Might

At 81, Larry Ellison—co-founder and executive chairman of Oracle, the database behemoth that has defined enterprise tech for half a century—stands at the zenith of his career. His net worth has surged past $200 billion, briefly crowning him the world's richest person earlier this month amid Oracle's AI-fueled stock rally. Yet Ellison's ascent isn't measured in dollars alone. He's orchestrating a consortium to acquire TikTok's U.S. operations, a deal sealed by President Donald Trump's executive order on Thursday. He's bankrolling his son David's audacious quest to dominate Hollywood and news media through Skydance Media's blockbuster merger with Paramount Global. And he's deepened ties with Trump, evolving from a Silicon Valley centrist to a linchpin in the conservative ecosystem.

Larry Ellison, Oracle's visionary chairman, giving an interview his son David Ellison at a 2025 White House event, symbolizing their dual ascent in tech, media, and political influence amid Oracle's AI boom and Skydance's Paramount merger

This convergence of fortune, family, and influence underscores a broader shift among tech titans: In an era of AI disruption and regulatory upheaval, billionaires like Ellison are wielding power that blurs the lines between boardrooms, ballot boxes, and broadcast studios. "Larry isn't just playing the game anymore—he's rewriting the rules," says Terry Sullivan, who managed Marco Rubio's 2016 presidential bid, which Ellison quietly bankrolled with tens of millions. "From shadowy super PAC contributor to White House confidant, he's gone from whisperer to kingmaker."

A Political Odyssey from Clinton Admirer to Trump Ally

Ellison's ideological journey mirrors Silicon Valley's own pivot rightward, a tale of pragmatism laced with personal affinity. Once a vocal booster of Bill Clinton—whom he lauded in a 2002 Playboy interview as "an extraordinary human being" and even quipped about a constitutional tweak for a third term—Ellison donated handsomely to Democrats in the 1990s. He hobnobbed with Barack Obama, hosting the president for golf outings on his Hawaiian courses, though he largely sat out Obama's campaigns financially.

The turning point came during Obama's tenure. Reports from outlets like The New York Times trace Ellison's drift toward the GOP to frustrations over regulations and taxes. By 2016, he funneled $20 million-plus into Rubio's super PAC, earning praise from Sullivan as a "low-maintenance" donor who shunned the spotlight. "He'd wire the check and vanish—no ego trips, no demands," Sullivan recalls.

Post-Rubio dropout, Ellison stayed neutral in 2016, backing neither Trump nor Hillary Clinton. In a 2018 Fox Business sit-down, he positioned himself as a "dispassionate middle" soul, name-dropping centrists like Clinton, Rubio, Mitt Romney, and Tony Blair. Yet actions spoke louder: In 2020, he hosted a Trump fundraiser at his sprawling Woodside estate (opting out of attendance himself) and joined a White House economic revival panel amid COVID-19 chaos. "I support him and want him to succeed," he told Forbes, demurring on demonizing the president.

That year crystallized the TikTok saga, a nexus of business and geopolitics. Oracle partnered with ByteDance to address U.S. security fears, with Trump publicly championing the bid alongside Walmart—a pact that crumbled under Biden-era scrutiny. "Larry's a tremendous guy; Oracle's a great company," Trump effused then. Post-2020, whispers emerged of Ellison on a call with Lindsey Graham and Sean Hannity probing election challenges, though David later disavowed any family skepticism, affirming the vote's integrity to Kara Swisher in 2022.

Ellison's 2024 dance was more calculated. He poured millions into Tim Scott's super PAC and attended the senator's launch, even reportedly nudging Trump toward a Scott VP slot. When Scott fizzled, Ellison pivoted: He pledged $1 billion to Elon Musk's Twitter (now X) takeover, citing free-speech synergies. Musk's swift reinstatement of Trump's account? Coincidence or catalyst? Ellison demurred on direct 2024 support but resurfaced post-inauguration, flanking Trump with OpenAI's Sam Altman and SoftBank's Masayoshi Son to unveil Stargate—a $500 billion AI infrastructure juggernaut. "Larry's CEO of everything," Trump quipped.

Today, Oracle's AI pivot—cloud services juiced by generative tech—has propelled its stock 150% year-to-date, vaulting Ellison atop Forbes' list before a Musk rebound. White House logs, per Puck reporting, show Ellison as a frequent flyer, burnishing his role in Trump's tech agenda. On TikTok: "He's one of us—a great guy," Trump said this week.

(Oracle's spokesperson declined comment; Trump did not respond to pressqouta queries.)

From Biden Donor to Trump Cageside

If Larry embodies tech's enduring gravitas, David Ellison, 42, channels its disruptive flair. The son of the Oracle oracle founded Skydance in 2010 with $250 million from Dad, evolving it from animation shop to animation powerhouse (think Mission: Impossible sequels). His crown jewel: the $8 billion Paramount merger, inked after a tortuous 2025 review dogged by Trump's barbs at CBS News over a Kamala Harris interview.

The deal's drama peaked with Paramount's $16 million settlement of Trump's defamation suit—no mea culpa attached. Skydance then pledged FCC-watchful reforms: a CBS bias ombudsman, DEI rollback. Approval followed in 48 hours. Coincidence? David's optics shifted too—from Biden's $929,600 war chest in April 2024 and DNC largesse to UFC cageside with Trump in spring 2025. (Post-merger, Paramount snagged UFC rights.)

Yet a source close to David dismisses quid pro quo tales as "conspiracy fodder." The younger Ellison, a onetime Swisher confessor of social liberalism, insists on centrism: "We're in the truth business—facts for the 70% in the middle." He eyes The Free Press acquisition and a Warner Bros. Discovery play, per sources, amplifying his sway over news, film, and sports.

Trump's tease of $20 million in Skydance "PSAs"? Unverified, and David stonewalls. "No interest in politics," he told reporters post-deal. "Just building."

In Tech, Stasis Is Suicide: Ellison's Edge

The Ellisons' saga spotlights billionaire bandwidth: Larry's Oracle, once a sleepy database giant, now eyes $100 billion in AI revenue by 2030. His Musk bromance—$1 billion for X, shared AI visions—fuels speculation of deeper alliances. David's Paramount perch? A megaphone for 150 million monthly eyeballs.

Critics decry such clout as oligarchic overreach; defenders hail innovation's handmaidens. As Sullivan notes, "Ellison's evolution isn't flip-flopping—it's adaptation. In tech, stasis is suicide."

For now, father and son crest the wave: Wealth peaks unbroken, power palpably expanded. In Silicon Valley's rarefied air, the Ellisons aren't just surviving—they're scripting the sequel.