Oracle Corp (NYSE:ORCL) co-founder Larry Ellison once revealed that his curiosity and skepticism have remained unchanged since childhood.
Ellison Says He's Always Questioned Authority
Ellison, now the world's second-richest person after Elon Musk, in a 1997 conversation, revealed that his defining personality trait has been consistent since early childhood: an instinct to challenge authority and question everything.
Ellison says the most important factor behind his success is his habit of questioning authority, experts and conventional wisdom.
"I don’t think my personality has changed much since I was 5 years old," Ellison said, describing himself as someone who always asks questions a lot.
The Experts Can Also Be Wrong, Says Oracle Founder
Ellison said that blind trust in experts can be dangerous, especially in technology and science.
"Question authorities don’t assume just because they’re an authority or even just because they’re an expert that they’re right," he said, noting that innovation depends on curiosity, skepticism and the willingness to challenge accepted truths.
From College Dropout To Tech Billionaire
Born in New York and raised in Chicago, Ellison dropped out of two universities before founding Oracle in 1977. He was born in New York City to a young, single mother who gave him up for adoption at nine months old.
He was then adopted by his maternal aunt and uncle in Chicago's South Side, a tough neighborhood.
He only learned at age 12 that he was adopted — but the tech mogul doesn't think adoption defined him as much as his relationship with his adoptive father did.
Ellison's adoptive father was a Russian immigrant and World War II bomber pilot who loved America deeply and never questioned authority or government policies.
Larry saw this blind trust as a weakness — it became the perfect example of "how not to be."
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The Oracle Founder Believes Obedience Kills Creativity
As a child, Ellison constantly pushed back against teachers who prized memorization over curiosity. He noticed early on that many educators valued obedience more than independent thought — a mindset he believes stifles creativity and critical reasoning.
According to Ellison, human beings are driven by two powerful instincts: the desire to be loved and accepted and the urge to think freely.
These forces often collide. To gain acceptance from parents, peers, or society, we tend to "conform" — in how we dress, act and even what we believe — often at the expense of our individuality.
From A $2,000 Startup To $343 Billion Fortune
Ellison currently boasts a net worth of $343 billion, making him the second-richest person in the world, according to the Billionaire Index. Most of his wealth stems from his roughly 41% stake in Oracle.
Ellison launched the company—originally named Software Development Laboratories—with just $2,000 of his own money and a $50,000 contract from the CIA.
Oracle went public on March 12, 1986, one day before Microsoft's IPO. Today, Oracle commands a market capitalization of $807.71 billion, reflecting a 70.65% year-to-date gain and a 64.33% jump over the past year.
Benzinga's Edge Stock Rankings place ORCL in the 91st percentile for Momentum, reflecting its solid long-term fundamentals and robust investor confidence. Click here to see how it compares with competitors.
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