The College Dropout’s Oracle for Success

As a boy, founder and CEO of Oracle, Larry Ellison was described to be independent and rebellious. His aggressive behavior was coupled with a strong aptitude for math and science – and this combination made him one of the richest men in the world.

photo by Oracle Corporate Communications

Born in the Bronx, New York, Ellison’s early years was ironically marked with frailty and ignorance. His unmarried 19-year old mother gave him up for adoption when he contracted pneumonia at nine months. He grew up unaware that he was adopted until he was twelve years old. From then on, the young Ellison turned over a new leaf and started recognizing his strengths.

He was named science student of the year at the University of Illinois, where he attended college; however, he dropped out soon after his adoptive mother died. Ellison then decided to learn the rudiments of computer programming but never received his college diploma. He made a living out of this knowledge for almost eight years, bouncing from job to job as a technician and programmer.

In 1977, Ellison and a couple of partners founded their own company, Software Development Labs. Under his leadership as the CEO, the company won a two-year contract to build a database management system for the CIA. The project was called Oracle. Ellison’s small team was able to finish the system a year ahead of schedule, giving them more time to develop the system for commercial applications. This is where they made it big.

Oracle’s sales doubled and became a billion dollar company in just seven years. Ellison then renamed the company Oracle Corporation after their best-selling product.

The wealth he accumulated throughout his entire career made him the 3rd richest man in America, according to Forbes.  With his success in the field of information technology, Ellison has been named as the prophet of software.