4 ms·

He also really doesn't do much (almost any?) charity so far in his life. And he never had to split assets in a divorce. So he's like a dung beetle of money.

fastball 11mo ago
dung beetle of *wealth Which is kinda irrelevant. Him selling Oracle shares does not fundamentally change the world in any way. Sure you can say "he should sell shares and do charity", but you could make the same argument that whoever would be buying those shares could be doing charity instead.
eirikbakke 11mo ago
"Larry Ellison has been involved with two philanthropic organizations. First he made a $300M donation to Stanford, in exchange for not admitting wrongdoing in an options backdating scandal. All other philanthropic work is to the Larry Ellison institute for prolonging of life--namely his." -- Bryan Cantrill https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zRN7XLCRhc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zRN7XLCRhc
- ge96 11mo ago
  Funny death is the equalizer for now till you get the foundation situation
- admissionsguy 11mo ago
  Sounds like he is a refreshingly honest person
  - jen729w 11mo ago
    Sounds like he’s a twat.
    - admissionsguy 11mo ago
      Isn't falling for virtue signalling charity donations more of a twattery?
      - afavour 11mo ago
        If you choose to classify all charity donations as "virtue signaling", yes. If you reject that absurd false framing, no.
      - slg 11mo ago
        It is always enlightening when people criticizing "virtue signaling" accidentally reveal that the problem they have is not the signaling, it's the having virtue.
        msandford 11mo ago
        There was a time when one of the virtues was not to brag about how virtuous you were. I think that's why a lot of folks have a problem with virtue signalling. In their minds if you're signalling by doing something publicly it karmically negates what you're doing and almost alchemically turns it into something resembling vice. I'm merely trying to explain how it is that people can have a problem with virtue signalling and to them it doesn't really contradict what is to them true virtue where you do something good and stay quiet about it.
        slg 11mo ago
        This comment feels like it was made outside the context of the existing conversation. The comment I replied to was calling all charity virtue signaling and not just vocal giving. But either way, I personally don’t think a library is any less valuable to a community just because it has Carnegie’s name above the entrance.
        bootsmann 11mo ago
        Society providing incentives for rich people to give money to charitable causes is good actually. An evil person doing good things for selfish reasons is still doing good things.
  - InexSquirrel 11mo ago
    Honest doesn't make good.
  - array_key_first 11mo ago
    > in exchange for not admitting wrongdoing in an options backdating scandal >> Refreshing honest ?
- jodrellblank 11mo ago
  It's amusing but it's not true. From Wikipedia: > In 1992, Ellison shattered his elbow in a high-speed bicycle crash. After receiving treatment at University of California, Davis, Ellison donated $5 million to seed the Lawrence J. Ellison Musculo-Skeletal Research Center. > In 1998, the Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center opened on the Sacramento campus of the UC Davis Medical Center > In 2007, Ellison pledged $500,000 to fortify a community centre in Sderot, Israel, against rocket attacks > In 2014, he donated $10 million to the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces. > In 2017, he donated $16.6 million donation to support the construction of well-being facilities on a new campus for co-ed conscripts > In May 2016, Ellison donated $200 million to the University of Southern California to establish a cancer research center: the Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine of USC > Between 2021 and 2023, Ellison invested $130 million in the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change and has pledged a further $218 million since then
  - skinnymuch 11mo ago
    You listed multiple sociopathic stuff. A western hegemony think tank is not a good thing. Giving money to a genociders is the opposite of good.
    - jodrellblank 11mo ago
      Nobody claimed otherwise. The claim was that he gave money to nothing except his own life extension fund. And you agree that he's given money to other things.
      - skinnymuch 11mo ago
        Ah I see my mistake. I had noticed grandparent being about charity and was responding to that.
        Thorrez 11mo ago
        It depends on your definition of "charity". If you're talking about Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, Wikipedia says: >The organization states that it is the official U.S. charity authorized to collect donations for IDF soldiers. >Charity evaluators have generally rated the organization favorably.[9] >The organization is recognized as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) charity in the United States and has been tax-exempt since July 1983.[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friends_of_the_Israel_Defense_Forces https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friends_of_the_Israel_Defense_...
mikepurvis 11mo ago
He's been divorced five times: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Ellison#Marriages https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Ellison#Marriages But I guess with the first one having ended pre-Oracle, he's had a pretty solid pre-nup ever since.
vpShane 11mo ago
He did buy an entire island in Hawaii and makes it a decent place for the natives (from what I hear) but otherwise... Billionaire Drools That “Citizens Will Be on Their Best Behavior” Under Constant AI Surveillance https://futurism.com/the-byte/billionaire-constant-ai-surveillance https://futurism.com/the-byte/billionaire-constant-ai-survei... Is the kind of mindset behind this guy.
burningChrome 11mo ago
This is completely misleading. Even a cursory google search will give a rather long list: - Giving Pledge: Ellison signed the Giving Pledge, committing to donate the majority of his wealth to philanthropy. Recently, he announced plans to donate 95% of his $373 billion fortune, focusing on science, healthcare, climate change, and AI research. - Ellison Medical Foundation: Invested nearly $1 billion in biomedical research on aging and disease prevention before closing in 2013 - Lawrence Ellison Foundation: Supports research on aging, health, education, sustainable agriculture, and wildlife conservation. - Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine (USC): Established with a $200 million donation to advance cancer research and personalized therapies - Ellison Institute of Technology (Oxford): A for-profit philanthropic initiative tackling global challenges like healthcare, food insecurity, climate change, and AI. A new campus worth $1.3 billion is planned for 2027 - Significant funding for Oxford University through EIT partnerships, including scholarships and research programs. - Lion Country Safari Acquisition: Purchased the 254-acre wildlife sanctuary in Florida for $30 million through his foundation, ensuring continued conservation efforts. - Larry Ellison Conservation Center: Opened in California to rehabilitate and breed endangered species I'm not a huge fan of his or how Oracle has conducted business, but his giving represents billions to charity, not exactly fitting for the "dung beetle" label people are so quick to apply to him.
- hamandcheese 11mo ago
  So he has pledged to give away 95%. But so far it seems like he has given very little, maybe 1%?
  - burningChrome 11mo ago
    So according to you there's some magical formula for when he has to give it all away? If you were him, wouldn't you want a lasting legacy? Something that your wealth effects generations over decades or even a century? Also, keep in mind he's already given away over $2B in charity, but even at 1%, that's still not very much for you?
    - IshKebab 11mo ago

fastball 11mo ago

dung beetle of *wealth Which is kinda irrelevant. Him selling Oracle shares does not fundamentally change the world in any way. Sure you can say "he should sell shares and do charity", but you could make the same argument that whoever would be buying those shares could be doing charity instead.

eirikbakke 11mo ago

"Larry Ellison has been involved with two philanthropic organizations. First he made a $300M donation to Stanford, in exchange for not admitting wrongdoing in an options backdating scandal. All other philanthropic work is to the Larry Ellison institute for prolonging of life--namely his." -- Bryan Cantrill https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zRN7XLCRhc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zRN7XLCRhc

ge96 11mo ago
Funny death is the equalizer for now till you get the foundation situation
admissionsguy 11mo ago
Sounds like he is a refreshingly honest person
- jen729w 11mo ago
  Sounds like he’s a twat.
  - admissionsguy 11mo ago
    Isn't falling for virtue signalling charity donations more of a twattery?
    - afavour 11mo ago
      If you choose to classify all charity donations as "virtue signaling", yes. If you reject that absurd false framing, no.
    - slg 11mo ago
      It is always enlightening when people criticizing "virtue signaling" accidentally reveal that the problem they have is not the signaling, it's the having virtue.
      - msandford 11mo ago
        There was a time when one of the virtues was not to brag about how virtuous you were. I think that's why a lot of folks have a problem with virtue signalling. In their minds if you're signalling by doing something publicly it karmically negates what you're doing and almost alchemically turns it into something resembling vice. I'm merely trying to explain how it is that people can have a problem with virtue signalling and to them it doesn't really contradict what is to them true virtue where you do something good and stay quiet about it.
        slg 11mo ago
        This comment feels like it was made outside the context of the existing conversation. The comment I replied to was calling all charity virtue signaling and not just vocal giving. But either way, I personally don’t think a library is any less valuable to a community just because it has Carnegie’s name above the entrance.
        bootsmann 11mo ago
        Society providing incentives for rich people to give money to charitable causes is good actually. An evil person doing good things for selfish reasons is still doing good things.
- InexSquirrel 11mo ago
  Honest doesn't make good.
- array_key_first 11mo ago
  > in exchange for not admitting wrongdoing in an options backdating scandal >> Refreshing honest ?
jodrellblank 11mo ago
It's amusing but it's not true. From Wikipedia: > In 1992, Ellison shattered his elbow in a high-speed bicycle crash. After receiving treatment at University of California, Davis, Ellison donated $5 million to seed the Lawrence J. Ellison Musculo-Skeletal Research Center. > In 1998, the Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center opened on the Sacramento campus of the UC Davis Medical Center > In 2007, Ellison pledged $500,000 to fortify a community centre in Sderot, Israel, against rocket attacks > In 2014, he donated $10 million to the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces. > In 2017, he donated $16.6 million donation to support the construction of well-being facilities on a new campus for co-ed conscripts > In May 2016, Ellison donated $200 million to the University of Southern California to establish a cancer research center: the Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine of USC > Between 2021 and 2023, Ellison invested $130 million in the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change and has pledged a further $218 million since then
- skinnymuch 11mo ago
  You listed multiple sociopathic stuff. A western hegemony think tank is not a good thing. Giving money to a genociders is the opposite of good.
  - jodrellblank 11mo ago
    Nobody claimed otherwise. The claim was that he gave money to nothing except his own life extension fund. And you agree that he's given money to other things.
    - skinnymuch 11mo ago
      Ah I see my mistake. I had noticed grandparent being about charity and was responding to that.
      - Thorrez 11mo ago
        It depends on your definition of "charity". If you're talking about Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, Wikipedia says: >The organization states that it is the official U.S. charity authorized to collect donations for IDF soldiers. >Charity evaluators have generally rated the organization favorably.[9] >The organization is recognized as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) charity in the United States and has been tax-exempt since July 1983.[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friends_of_the_Israel_Defense_Forces https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friends_of_the_Israel_Defense_...

mikepurvis 11mo ago

He's been divorced five times: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Ellison#Marriages https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Ellison#Marriages But I guess with the first one having ended pre-Oracle, he's had a pretty solid pre-nup ever since.

vpShane 11mo ago

He did buy an entire island in Hawaii and makes it a decent place for the natives (from what I hear) but otherwise... Billionaire Drools That “Citizens Will Be on Their Best Behavior” Under Constant AI Surveillance https://futurism.com/the-byte/billionaire-constant-ai-surveillance https://futurism.com/the-byte/billionaire-constant-ai-survei... Is the kind of mindset behind this guy.

burningChrome 11mo ago

This is completely misleading. Even a cursory google search will give a rather long list: - Giving Pledge: Ellison signed the Giving Pledge, committing to donate the majority of his wealth to philanthropy. Recently, he announced plans to donate 95% of his $373 billion fortune, focusing on science, healthcare, climate change, and AI research. - Ellison Medical Foundation: Invested nearly $1 billion in biomedical research on aging and disease prevention before closing in 2013 - Lawrence Ellison Foundation: Supports research on aging, health, education, sustainable agriculture, and wildlife conservation. - Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine (USC): Established with a $200 million donation to advance cancer research and personalized therapies - Ellison Institute of Technology (Oxford): A for-profit philanthropic initiative tackling global challenges like healthcare, food insecurity, climate change, and AI. A new campus worth $1.3 billion is planned for 2027 - Significant funding for Oxford University through EIT partnerships, including scholarships and research programs. - Lion Country Safari Acquisition: Purchased the 254-acre wildlife sanctuary in Florida for $30 million through his foundation, ensuring continued conservation efforts. - Larry Ellison Conservation Center: Opened in California to rehabilitate and breed endangered species I'm not a huge fan of his or how Oracle has conducted business, but his giving represents billions to charity, not exactly fitting for the "dung beetle" label people are so quick to apply to him.

hamandcheese 11mo ago
So he has pledged to give away 95%. But so far it seems like he has given very little, maybe 1%?
- burningChrome 11mo ago
  So according to you there's some magical formula for when he has to give it all away? If you were him, wouldn't you want a lasting legacy? Something that your wealth effects generations over decades or even a century? Also, keep in mind he's already given away over $2B in charity, but even at 1%, that's still not very much for you?
  - IshKebab 11mo ago