What do you do when you have surplus wealth as a millionaire? If you were Larry Wilson, you would donate most of it to philanthropy. The co-founder of Oracle, who is currently the second richest person in the world, is moving forward with a long-term plan to donate 95 per cent of his fortune. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Ellison’s net worth stands at $373 billion as of September 2025.
Ellison’s commitment, initially made under the Giving Pledge in 2010, is being channelled primarily through his own institution, the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT), highlighting his preference to manage his philanthropic donations on his own terms and timeline rather than through traditional nonprofits.
Larry Ellison’s net worth: A quick look
Ellison’s net worth has swelled rapidly in recent months, largely fuelled by massive gains in Oracle’s stock performance amid the artificial intelligence (AI) boom, alongside his substantial stake in Tesla. Despite his growing wealth, Ellison remains committed to his pledge.
His primary vehicle for philanthropy, the Ellison Institute of Technology, is a for-profit organisation focused on addressing some of the world’s most critical global challenges, including healthcare, climate change, food insecurity, and AI research. A major new EIT campus, valued at approximately $1.3 billion, is scheduled to open in Oxford by 2027.
Ellison donated previously for noble causes
While his direct charitable distributions have previously focused on initiatives like a $200 million contribution to the University of Southern California for a cancer research center, and roughly $1 billion to the now-closed Ellison Medical Foundation (focused on aging and disease prevention), his current focus is EIT.
Ellison has always been vocal about his intent to control his wealth. He stated in his 2010 Giving Pledge letter, “Nearly all of my material wealth will be donated to charity. For many years, I have been giving away a substantial portion of my assets to fund education and medical research. A large fraction of my wealth will be used to improve the lives of people living in abject poverty in the US and around the world.”
