{"id":1635101,"date":"2026-03-27T14:16:13","date_gmt":"2026-03-27T18:16:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/observer.com\/?p=1635101"},"modified":"2026-03-27T14:16:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T18:16:13","slug":"larry-ellison-fortune-stargate-tiktok-paramount-wbd-merger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/observer.com\/2026\/03\/larry-ellison-fortune-stargate-tiktok-paramount-wbd-merger\/","title":{"rendered":"How Larry Ellison is Quietly Shaping the Future of A.I., Social Media and Hollywood"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Larry
Larry Ellison\u2019s influence extends from Oracle\u2019s A.I. dominance to Hollywood\u2019s largest merger. Photo by Andrew Harnik\/Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Larry Ellison stepped down as Oracle\u2019s CEO more than a decade ago. Yet the company\u2019s co-founder, now executive chair and chief technology officer\u2014with an estimated net worth of $190 billion\u2014remains deeply involved in Oracle\u2019s biggest moves. His influence ripples far beyond enterprise software, extending from A.I. infrastructure and social media to Hollywood. Ellison is a key backer in the Trump administration’s Stargate project<\/a>, the U.S. takeover of TikTok<\/a> and the $110 billion Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition<\/a> led by his son, David Ellison.<\/p>\n

Most of Ellison\u2019s fortune comes from his Oracle holdings, and the company has soared amid the A.I. boom. For the fiscal third quarter ended Feb. 28, Oracle reported $17.2 billion<\/span><\/a>\u00a0in revenue, up 22 percent from a year earlier, including $8.9 billion from cloud services, up 44 percent. Once known primarily for database software and enterprise tools, Oracle has repositioned itself as a cloud powerhouse powering the world\u2019s A.I. ambitions<\/a>.<\/p>\n

According to Oracle\u2019s\u00a02025 proxy filing<\/span><\/a>, Ellison pledged 346 million Oracle shares\u2014worth roughly $51 billion\u2014as collateral to fund \u201coutside personal business ventures.\u201d His influence today merges business strategy with a broader worldview. In early 2025, he publicly argued that governments should unify their national data systems so A.I. platforms could query information more effectively. Ellison has also kept close political ties, having hosted a fundraiser for President Donald Trump at his California estate in 2020.<\/p>\n

Ellison\u2019s reach now converges across three fronts: building A.I. infrastructure with Oracle at the center of Stargate, securing TikTok\u2019s American future and financing one of Hollywood\u2019s largest mergers.<\/p>\n

\"Officials