4 sources · updated 20 Oct 2026
Lawrence Joseph Ellison, born on 17 August 1944, is an American entrepreneur who co-founded Oracle in 1977 and ranks among the world's richest people.
In sailing, he owns the American BMW Oracle Racing challenge, which contested the 2003 America's Cup (beaten by Alinghi in the Louis Vuitton Cup final) and the 2007 edition (knocked out in the semi-final by Luna Rossa).
In 2010 the wing-sailed trimaran USA-17 beat Alinghi's catamaran in two races after a lengthy legal battle. In 2013 Oracle Team USA won the 34th America's Cup in San Francisco against Emirates Team New Zealand after a notable comeback, on 25 September 2013.