**Larry Ellison Backs Paramount’s Warner Bros. Discovery Bid with $40.4 Billion**
Larry Ellison, Oracle’s Chief Technology Officer and billionaire, has committed $40.4 billion to support his son’s bid for Paramount to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery. This move aims to prevent the streaming giant Netflix from gaining control of Warner Bros.’ valuable Hollywood assets. A recent filing revealed that this financial guarantee is designed to alleviate concerns from the Warner Bros. board regarding Paramount’s funding and the previous lack of full backing from the Ellison family, which had made Netflix’s cash-and-stock offer more appealing.
Following this announcement, shares of Warner Bros. saw an increase of nearly 4%, while Paramount’s shares rose by approximately 3%.
In September, Ellison became only the second person in history to exceed a net worth of $400 billion, driven by a surge in Oracle’s stock fueled by advancements in artificial intelligence. Five years ago, he made a permanent move to the Hawaiian island of Lanai, which he had largely acquired in 2012 for $300 million. Ellison served on Tesla’s board from 2018 until 2022, holding 45 million split-adjusted shares at the time of his departure.
Ellison also has significant control over media powerhouse Paramount Skydance, formed from the merger of Paramount and his son David’s Skydance, which had an enterprise value of around $28 billion in August 2025. He is reported to own nearly 98% of Lanai, the sixth-largest island in Hawaii.
Born on August 17, 1944, in New York City, Larry Ellison is the chairman, chief technology officer, and co-founder of Oracle, where he holds about 40% of the company. After leading Oracle for 37 years, he stepped down as CEO in 2014. Ellison attended South Shore High School in Chicago and later the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, where he began as a pre-medical student. He left the university after his sophomore year and later studied physics and mathematics at the University of Chicago, where he first encountered computer design. He eventually moved to Berkeley, California, to pursue a career in computer programming.
**Conclusion**
Larry Ellison’s substantial financial commitment to Paramount’s bid for Warner Bros. Discovery underscores his influence in the media landscape and his desire to keep key Hollywood assets away from competitors like Netflix. As the situation develops, it will be interesting to see how this bid unfolds and its implications for the future of the entertainment industry.
**FAQ**
**What is Larry Ellison’s role in the Paramount bid for Warner Bros. Discovery?**
Larry Ellison has pledged $40.4 billion to support his son’s bid for Paramount to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, aiming to secure valuable Hollywood assets from Netflix.