Ellison vs Buffett

Oracle and Berkshire Hathaway.

The differences

Forbes puts Larry Ellison about $32.4B ahead of Warren Buffett.Forbes figures from 9 Oct 2026 and 17 Oct 2026.
Larry Ellison: co-founded it. Warren Buffett: built it up.
Warren Buffett is about 14 years older than Larry Ellison.
Both have signed the Giving Pledge.
Larry Ellison has held a public or government advisory role; Warren Buffett has none on record.

Put someone else on either side

Ellison

Buffett

Net worth, Forbes: $184BForbes, 9 Oct 2026; $151BForbes, 17 Oct 2026
Net worth, Bloomberg: $192BBloomberg, 9 Oct 2026; $147BBloomberg, 9 Oct 2026
Forbes rank: No. 8Real-Time list, 9 Oct 2026; No. 9Annual list, 1 Mar 2026
Billionaire since: 1993Forbes: 'in 1993 Forbes first named Ellison a billionaire'; Not stated

How it started: Co-founded itOracle's bio says he founded the company in 1977; Bloomberg says he founded it with two partners; Built it upDid not found Berkshire Hathaway: his investment partnership (BPL) began buying its shares in 1962 and took control in May 1965; Forbes lists him as self-made
Main source: Oracle stockBloomberg: 'The majority of Larry Ellison's fortune is derived from a stake in US software maker Oracle'; Berkshire Hathaway stockBloomberg: 'The majority of Warren Buffett's fortune is derived from his interest in Berkshire Hathaway'; the 10-K describes Berkshire as a holding company in insurance, freight rail, utilities and energy, manufacturing, services and retailing
Companies: OracleOracle: Executive chair and CTO (since September 2014); Berkshire HathawayBerkshire Hathaway: Chairman Emeritus and director (since September 18, 2026)
Biggest stake: Oracle38.2% owned; Berkshire Hathaway13.2% owned

Born: 17 Aug 1944New York City, United States; 30 Aug 1930Omaha, Nebraska, United States
Country: United StatesLives in Manalapan, Florida, United States; United StatesLives in Omaha, Nebraska, United States
Education: Left university without a degreeLeft the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign without a degree; Graduate degreeBachelor's degree, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Master of Science, Columbia University
Parents: Born to Florence Spellman, a 19-year-old single mother, and adopted by her aunt and uncle, Lillian and Louis Ellison, who raised him in Chicago; His father, Howard, worked in the investment business and was elected to Congress in 1942; his paternal grandparents had a grocery business

Giving Pledge: Signed in 2010; Signed in 2010Co-founded the Giving Pledge with Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation: Larry Ellison Foundation; Berkshire stock gifts to the Gates Foundation and four family foundationsSince 2006 he has given Berkshire stock to the Gates Foundation and to the Susan Thompson Buffett, Sherwood, Howard G. Buffett and NoVo foundations
Lifetime giving: $0.5BForbes, undefined undefined 2014. Forbes' 2014 America's Top Givers figure ($507 million lifetime), reported in 2016; no newer estimate cited; $72BForbes, 15 Sep 2026. Forbes: 'So far he has given away more than $72 billion, mostly through the Gates Foundation and his kids' foundations'. The Gates Foundation reports $47.9 billion from him through 2025

Role now: Runs the companyExecutive chair and chief technology officer of Oracle; On the boardChairman Emeritus and director of Berkshire Hathaway
Successor: Clay Magouyrk and Mike Sicilia, co-CEOs since September 2025Named CEOs under Oracle's succession planning; no successor is named for his executive chair and CTO roles, and no family member is an Oracle executive officer; Greg Abel (CEO since January 1, 2026); Howard G. Buffett (chairman since September 18, 2026)The company notices give the roles but don't state Howard Buffett's relationship to him
Public office: Member, President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST)2026-; None found
Legal record: 2005: San Mateo County Superior CourtA judge approved his settlement of a shareholder suit over Oracle stock sales in 2001: he agreed to donate $100 million to charity in Oracle's name and pay $22 million in attorneys' fees, while denying wrongdoing.; None found