How Larry Ellison is shaping the future of AI, media and Hollywood


Larry Ellison speaks at the White House launch of Stargate, the AI ​​infrastructure venture backed by Oracle, OpenAI and SoftBank, on January 21, 2025.
Larry Ellison’s influence extends from Oracle’s AI dominance to Hollywood’s biggest merger. Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Larry Ellison resigned as The burdenCEO of more than a decade ago. Still, the company’s co-founder, now executive chairman and chief technology officer — with an estimated net worth of $190 billion — remains deeply involved in Oracle’s biggest moves. Its influence is far beyond enterprise software, extending from AI infrastructure and social media to Hollywood. Ellison is a key supporter in the Trump administration Project Stargate, Taking TikTok from the US and 110 billion dollars Warner Bros. Discovery APPROPRIATION led by his son, David Ellison.

Most of Ellison’s wealth comes from his Oracle holdings, and the company has grown amid the AI ​​boom. For the fiscal third quarter ended Feb. 28, Oracle reported 17.2 billion dollars in revenue, up 22 percent from a year ago, 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 AI ambitions.

According to Oracle’s 2025 power of attorney filingEllison pledged 346 million Oracle shares — worth roughly $51 billion — as collateral to finance “outside personal business ventures.” 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 that AI platforms can search for information more effectively. Ellison has also maintained close political ties, having hosted a fundraiser for President Donald Trump at his California estate in 2020.

Ellison’s reach now converges on three fronts: building AI infrastructure with Oracle at the heart of Stargate, providing TikTokAmerica’s future and the financing of one of Hollywood’s biggest mergers.

Officials stand by the White House announcement of Stargate, the AI ​​infrastructure venture backed by Oracle, OpenAI and SoftBank, on January 21, 2025.Officials stand by the White House announcement of Stargate, the AI ​​infrastructure venture backed by Oracle, OpenAI and SoftBank, on January 21, 2025.
At the Stargate presentation at the White House on January 21, 2025, Larry Ellison appeared alongside President Donald Trump, Sam Altman, and Masayoshi Son as Oracle emerged as a key player in the construction of USAI. Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Stargate’s $500 billion ambition for artificial intelligence

On January 21, 2025, Ellison appeared at the White House with Donald Trump, OpenAI CEO, Sam AltmanAND SoftBankS ‘ Masayoshi Son to unveil Stargate, a plan to invest up to $500 billion over four years in USAI’s infrastructure. The initiative began with $100 billion in immediate funding and construction already underway in Texas. Ellison said the effort would eventually include about 20 data centers nationwide.

OpenAI named Oracle, Nvidia and OpenAI itself as the main developers and operators of Stargate’s computing systems. While SoftBank and OpenAI were each EXPECTED THE contribute 19 billion dollars in equity, Oracle’s exact investment was not disclosed.

Ellison remained the project’s chief evangelist, declaring in March 2025 that Oracle would double its global data center capacity that year. By July, Oracle and OpenAI announced plans to develop up to 4.5 gigawatts of additional Stargate capacity in the US – enough to power several million servers – and a projected total of more than 5 gigawatts in the pipeline when combined with the main campus in Abilene, Texas.

By September, the joint venture had expanded to nearly 7 gigawatts of planned capacity across locations in Texas, New Mexico and the Midwest, representing more than $400 billion in anticipated investment. But the moment has not been calm. In March 2026, Oracle and OpenAI scrapped a 600-megawatt expansion near Abilene after funding talks stalled and OpenAI’s priorities shifted. However, the broader 4.5 gigawatt build remains on track, and Abilene continues to host two operational data centers with six more in the pipeline.

Creation of TikTok US

In January, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, finalized the creation of a majority American-owned TikTok US to comply with the government’s takedown or ban mandate. The restructured entity gave Oracle, Silver Lake and Abu Dhabi’s MGX a 15 percent stake each, while ByteDance held 19.9 percent. Under the deal, Oracle became the custodian of TikTok US, hosting all US user data and algorithm controls in its domestic cloud under strict cyber security protocols.

In its March 10-Q filing, Oracle valued its stock at approx 2 billion dollars. By September, Vice President JD Vance estimated the total value of the enterprise at approx 14 billion dollars. The deal made Oracle an investor and infrastructure partner in one of the most politically controlled technology businesses in America.

However, the controversy continues. On March 17, Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat from Virginia, pressed White House officials to reveal whether the investors had agreed to pay a $10 billion fee to the US Treasury as part of the Trump-brokered transaction. Meanwhile, a separate lawsuit challenges the administration’s approval of the deal.

Larry Ellison and David Ellison pose together at a public event.Larry Ellison and David Ellison pose together at a public event.
Larry Ellison and his son, David Ellison, CEO of Paramount Skydance. Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images

The fortune behind Paramount Skydance’s WBD offering

Ellison’s influence extends to the world of entertainment through his personal wealth. In December 2025, he personally guaranteed $40.4 billion to strengthen Paramount SkydanceWarner Bros.’ offer

Led by Ellison’s son, David Ellison, Paramount Skydance was competing with Netflix to buy Warner. Netflix ultimately declined to match the final offer, paving the way for a landmark $110 billion deal announced in February 2026.

According to Reutersthe purchase is being made funded by $47 billion in equity from the Ellison family and RedBird Capital Partners, plus $54 billion in debt commitments from Bank of America, Citigroup and Apollo Global Management. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026, pending regulatory approval.

How Larry Ellison is quietly shaping the future of AI, social media and Hollywood





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