The Incredible Life Of Oracle Billionaire Larry Ellison

larry ellison lanai
larry ellison lanai

Starr Environmental/Flickr, Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

Larry Ellison is stepping down as CEO of Oracle. 

In honor of his long career, let’s take a look back at his real estate portfolio.

This billionaire is no stranger to the real estate market — he’s been called “the nation’s most avid trophy-home buyer” and has all but taken over entire neighborhoods in Malibu and the Lake Tahoe area. 

Ellison has made headlines in recent years for his plans to develop Lanai, a Hawaiian island he purchased in 2012, into a model for environmentally sound living. Though Lanai has been his largest overall investment by far, he’s made a number of blockbuster purchases over the last two decades. 

In 1988, Ellison paid $3.9 million for a William Wurster home in San Francisco’s swanky Pacific Heights neighborhood, a popular area that’s now home to other tech moguls like Mark Pincus, Jonathan Ive, and Trevor Traina. Several news outlets reported Ellison planned to buy the home next door for $40 million, but the sale never happened.

Source: Curbed SF 

 

His home in Woodside, Calif., modeled after a 16th-century Japanese emperor’s palace, is worth an estimated $70 million. The 23-acre estate took nine years to design and build, and it was completed in 2004.

Source: SF Gate

 

He also owns a historic garden villa in Kyoto, Japan, which was reportedly listed for $86 million, though the price he paid is unknown.

Source: SF Gate, Japan Property Central

Pictured: Nanzen-ji Temple, which is right near Ellison’s estate

Ellison owns as many as two dozen properties in Malibu, Calif., including 10 on oceanfront property on billionaire-packed Carbon Beach. In 2012 he bought the home belonging to former Yahoo! CEO Terry Semel, and last year he paid $18 million for producer Jerry Bruckheimer’s house.

Source: Curbed LA

In 2004, he paid $17.6 million for the parcel that’s now home to Nobu Malibu, an ultra-trendy Japanese restaurant popular among Hollywood A-listers. Last summer he opened a Mediterranean restaurant, called Nikita, just next door.

Source: Curbed LA 

 

Rumor has it that Ellison and Nobu Matsuhisa, the mastermind behind the Nobu sushi chain, have plans to convert the historic Casa Malibu Inn into a high-end Japanese concept hotel. Ellison purchased the property for $20 million in 2007.

Source: Curbed LA

He bought the Malibu Racquet Club for $6.9 million in 2007. The facilities have been vastly improved since the purchase, and tennis pros Victoria Azarenka and Serena Williams have been spotted here.

Source: Curbed LA 

This 2.5-acre home in Snug Harbor, just one of three parcels Ellison owns in Lake Tahoe, is currently on the market for $28.5 million. He’s reportedly working on building another home that’s three times the size of this one, with 18,000 square feet of living space in addition to an island, waterfalls, and a tennis court.

Source: Wall Street Journal

In 2010, he paid $10.5 million for the Beechwood Villa in Newport, R.I. He’s planning to turn the historic home, which once belonged to the Astor family, into a museum to house his extensive 19th-century art collection.

Source: SF Gate

Ellison bought Porcupine Creek from Yellowstone Club founders Tim and Edra Blixseth for $42.9 million in 2011. The private golf club, which is located in Rancho Mirage, Calif., includes a main house with a whopping 16 bedrooms, in addition to several separate guest houses.

Source: Business Insider

Ellison raised some eyebrows when in 2012 he paid a reported $500 million to buy 98% of the Hawaiian island of Lanai. Since then, he’s bought two airlines, refurbished the island’s hotels, and started investing in clean energy sources. He plans to use the island as an experiment for environmentally sound practices.

Source: Forbes

In February, Ellison reportedly purchased 21 more residential properties near the Four Seasons Resorts Lanai at Manele Bay, spending a little more than $41 million. According to Pacific Business News, Ellison has accounted for 21 of the 26 real estate purchases that have taken place in Lanai’s Manele Bay since mid-2012.

Source: Pacific Business News

 

Now see how another tech mogul spends his billions.

The Fabulous Life Of Tech Billionaire Marc Benioff »

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