Born in 1983, David Ellison is the only son of Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison. By the time David was 10, his father was already a billionaire. Currently, with an estimated fortune of 260 billion USD, Larry Ellison consistently ranks among the top 3 wealthiest individuals globally.

However, David's life was not without its challenges. His parents divorced when he was just three years old. David primarily grew up with his mother, Barbara Boothe, on a horse ranch in Woodside, California. Barbara instilled in her son the importance of humility. To earn pocket money, the young Ellison had to do household chores, receiving only 5 USD per week, similar to other children.

Oracle billionaire's son, David Ellison. Photo: AP

In contrast, his father's world offered overwhelming experiences. Larry Ellison owned mansions resembling Japanese palaces, superyachts, and taught his son to spend money in a unique way. When David was 13, Larry Ellison decided to teach him responsibility and focus by purchasing a private two-seater aerobatic plane for him. On weekends, father and son would often fly over the Pacific Ocean to perform simulated exercises.

David's wealth and passion for aviation became ingrained, yet they also inadvertently created significant pressure as he entered adulthood. In 2006, David dropped out of the University of Southern California (USC) to pursue his cinematic dreams. He utilized his flying skills to produce and star in his debut film, "Flyboys". Despite David investing 18 million USD of his own money and working diligently without flaunting his family background, the film was a box office disaster.

In Hollywood, David was immediately labeled "dumb money", a term for wealthy offspring who invest in films merely to satisfy their ego. Failure followed when his second project was canceled. This served as a turning point for David. "I realized all I wanted to do was produce films, not act," he admitted.

In 2010, David founded Skydance Media. Although Larry Ellison continued to provide financial support, David understood that money alone would not earn respect in the entertainment industry. Steve Jobs, a close friend of his father and the architect of Pixar, changed David's mindset. Steve Jobs advised: "I want you to be more passionate about telling stories than anyone else, because that's what we did at Pixar."

Embracing this philosophy, Skydance pivoted to partnering with major studios to produce blockbusters. Successes quickly followed with "True Grit", "Mission: Impossible", "World War Z", culminating in "Top Gun: Maverick", a film that fully realized David's lifelong passion for aviation.

Currently, Skydance is valued at over 4 billion USD. David Ellison is finalizing a historic merger with Paramount Global, a move that will give him control of one of America's oldest film studios, allowing him to fully step out of his billionaire father's shadow.

Nhat Minh (According to Latimes)