No. 17: Larry Ellison: The philanthropist of the Jewish world

Larry Ellison, co-founder of Oracle, is recognized for his philanthropy, including significant contributions to Jewish causes like Friends of the IDF and Sderot. He signed the Giving Pledge in 2010, committing to donate at least 95% of his wealth, with hundreds of millions already given to medical research and education. Ellison briefly became the world's richest man in September 2025, driven by Oracle's aggressive investment in AI infrastructure, including a monumental agreement to supply OpenAI with computing power. Despite substantial capital spending and debt for this expansion, Ellison maintains that demand for AI infrastructure is "astronomical."

Ellison's fortune has since proven extraordinarily volatile, with his net worth fluctuating significantly.

Beyond Oracle, Ellison has expanded his influence into media, financing his son's $8 billion takeover of Paramount in August 2025, making him the largest shareholder of Paramount Skydance. Paramount Skydance also moved to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery for $110.9 billion, a deal currently facing regulatory challenges.