Difference Between God And Larry Ellison, The god Doesn't Think He's Larry E: *god Doesn't Think He's Larry Ellison / Inside Oracle Corporation - Softcover

Wilson, Mike

3.93

384 ratings by Goodreads

9780688163532: Difference Between God And Larry Ellison*, The *god Doesn't Think He's Larry E: *god Doesn't Think He's Larry Ellison / Inside Oracle Corporation

Softcover

ISBN 10: 068816353X ISBN 13: 9780688163532

Publisher: Harper Perennial, 1998

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A recent Forbes listed Ellison as the fifth richest man in the world, and the second richest active player (behind Gates) in the technology world. Oracle Corporation, of which he is founder and CEO, is the fastest-growing software database company in the world, and the darling of technology investors. If you withdraw cash from an ATM, make an airline reservation, hook up your TV to the Internet, then you're using Oracle. All of this makes Ellison the man investors, techies, and people-in-the-know want to know more about. The ultimate self-made man, Ellison began Oracle with a $1,200 investment and doubled its sales in eleven of its first twelve years. But he's a ruthless businessman who has used misdirection and half-truths to create one of the great high-tech success stories. He is also a daredevil sportsman with a 78-foot yacht, a number of fast jets, and beautiful women on his arm. If Gates is the nerd-King of the Valley, Ellison is its Warren Beatty. Mike Wilson has interviewed more than a hundred of Ellison's friends and enemies as well as Ellison himself to create an entertaining and provocative portrait of this enigmatic and visionary businessman.

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Review:

It seems like all of the biggest names in the computer industry are getting the celebrity bio treatment these days. But no corporate CEO deserves it more than Larry Ellison, the charismatic head of Oracle Corp. This isn't your standard, dry, "learn-from-his-example" type of life. It's not that Ellison's life doesn't offer the same lessons in hard-won business success as some of his colleague's, because it certainly does. It's just vastly more entertaining.

In The Difference Between God and Larry Ellison, author Mike Wilson delivers a fascinating and genuinely interesting portrayal of Silicon Valley's most notorious bad boy, constructed from hundreds of interviews with friends, colleagues, and those unfortunate enough to stand in Ellison's way. There are plenty of behind-the-scenes stories of the growth and worldwide success of Oracle, which Ellison founded in 1977. Plus, there's plenty of the good stuff: tales of Ellison's truly fast-lane lifestyle, filled with big boats, beautiful women, and celebrity friends. While this book probably won't transform you into a fan of Ellison's, you will be grateful for a chance to observe him--from a safe distance.

The punchline is "God doesn't think he's Larry Ellison," of course.

About the Author:

Mike Wilson is an editor at the St. Petersburg Times and the author of the acclaimed Right on the Edge of Crazy: On Tour with the U.S. Ski Team. He lives in St. Petersburg, Florida.

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