The fate of a talented programmer is not an easy one. He was abandoned by his parents and was also subjected to constant oppression from foster carers. All this left an imprint on Larry’s psychological state but gave him a valuable lesson.
“I’ve always been a rebel,” is how Oracle founder Larry Ellison describes himself. Who knows, perhaps it was the desire to go against the rules and foundations that allowed an unknown young man to put together an empire and reach the pinnacle of business success.
Childhood and youth
Lawrence’s childhood years were not happy. He still does not know his father’s name. He was an American Air Force pilot with Italian roots. The pilot was transferred to a new duty station, so he never found out about his girlfriend’s pregnancy. The mother of the future businessman is Florence Spelmann. The Odessa Jewish emigrant was only 19 years old when she became pregnant.
When nine-month-old Lawrence fell ill with pneumonia, the girl realized that she was not able to provide proper care for her baby. A young woman gives the child to her relatives living in New York and then disappears. The surname of Larry Ellison takes its roots from the name of the place of European expatriates – Ellie Island.
Lilia Spelman and Lewis Ellison adopted a 9-month-old boy. Lawrence saw his biological mother only when he was 48 years old. The famous developer grew up in Chicago and attended one of the local schools there.
Own business
Since the 70s, a new chapter begins in the biography of Larry Ellison. A talented programmer, together with his friends Bob Miner and Ed Watts, creates Software Development Laboratories. In the first stage, the buddies invested only $ 2,000 in this startup.
Remember we talked about the article by Edgar Codd? So it was she who became the driving force behind which Lawrence’s starting his own business. The author of this work believed that it is realistic to create a database that works on all types of computing equipment. The SQL query language was supposed to act as a connecting link.
Towards the end of the 70s, the creation of innovative data processing technology could have made Larry Ellison a fortune. The databases were already running, but they were created for each computer separately. It was the lack of unification that hindered the development of a promising sphere.
Oracle and Larry Ellison’s success begins with identifying a major market need with his SDL colleagues. They started working on creating a database management system, and they also thought about ways to develop microcomputers.
Compared to competitors, Lawrence’s team had a unique strategy – the creation of universal databases that can work on all computers without exception. The restrictions on the amount of information also had to be leveled. This development made it possible to solve a wide range of tasks:
- Control over public procurement;
- Space exploration;
- Optimization of the production process in factories and factories;
- Implementation of banking transactions, all kinds of financial transactions.
The range of applications of the technology was unusually wide. The CIA orders a young company to create such a database. This is the second experience of cooperation of a programmer with American intelligence services. In 1982, the story of Larry Ellison and Oracle begins, he renames his company in honor of the most successful development.
The company of a novice businessman has always stood out favorably against the background of competitors with its non-trivial marketing. The first version of the generic database was named Oracle v2. This is a deliberate step. Ellison’s team wanted to convince potential clients that they are experts in the field. Nobody trusts beginners. In theory, this product was supposed to increase Larry Ellison’s fortune and take his business to the next level. And so it happened, the first client of the company was the US Air Force Base Wright-Patterson.
Over the next three years, Oracle will introduce versions 3, 4, and 5 of its acclaimed product. In 1986, an initial public offering was made on the NASDAQ American stock exchange. Larry Ellison’s financial condition has increased so much that he first entered the Forbes rating. The talented programmer managed to earn $ 185 million of personal funds on Oracle. At this point, a rivalry with Microsoft begins. Bill Gates is on the list of the richest people, but he earned decently more – $ 315 million.
Throughout his biography, Larry Ellison has strived to outflank his sworn rival. From time to time he succeeded. For example, in 2000, the founder of Oracle increased his fortune to $ 48 billion. Bill Gates had only reached the $ 10 billion mark by then. Microsoft’s development stalled due to litigation initiated by the antitrust committee.
Ellison and Gates have similar businesses, but they are complete opposites. Larry constantly changes wives and adores luxury, while Bill, on the contrary, is an exemplary family man and ascetic. The Oracle founder once flew his fighter jet over the Gates mansion to demonstrate his dominance.
