The Unseen Empire: How Larry Ellison Shapes Your Data, Media, and World
If we think about who holds real power in the world, our minds often go to presidents and politicians. But in our modern age, true influence frequently comes from a different source.
It is quietly shaped in the creative boardrooms of Hollywood and the tech hubs that power our digital lives. These are the organisations that craft the stories we watch, filter the information we receive, and build the platforms we use to connect with one another every day.
When you peel back the layers of technology, media, and geopolitics, one name appears with startling consistency: Larry Ellison.
As the billionaire founder of Oracle, one of the largest tech companies on the planet, Ellison’s reach extends far beyond corporate software. He is quietly becoming a dominant force in global AI infrastructure, a kingmaker in media empires, and a key political player with decades-long alliances. At the heart of his empire is a deep, personal, and financial commitment to Israel, blurring the lines between private business and foreign policy.
How far does Larry Ellison’s influence truly reach? Where do his allegiances lie, and how is he shaping the narratives we see, hear, and believe? Let’s uncover the story.
The Oracle Project: From CIA Codename to Global Tech Giant
Larry Ellison’s story begins not in a garage, but with a classified government contract. In the late 1970s, he worked on an ambitious project for the CIA to create a massive, centralised database. The project’s codename? “Oracle.”
That name would become the foundation of a multi-billion-dollar empire. Ellison transformed that initial intelligence contract into Oracle Corporation, a tech titan supplying software and cloud infrastructure to governments, corporations, and institutions worldwide.
From its inception, Oracle was intertwined with national security and the core idea that data, especially personal data, is the ultimate source of power.
The AI Data King
Today, Oracle’s influence has deepened exponentially. The company is at the forefront of the artificial intelligence revolution:
Powering ChatGPT: Oracle provides the essential cloud storage for OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT.
Massive AI Infrastructure: The company is investing half a trillion dollars to build ten gigawatts of AI infrastructure in the United States.
To put that in perspective, this is the digital equivalent of building an entirely new power grid. But instead of electricity, this grid delivers intelligence, information, and the fuel for the AI models rapidly integrating into our lives.
When you ask ChatGPT a question, there’s a strong possibility the answer is generated from data stored on Larry Ellison’s servers. His cloud contains everything from bank records and corporate contracts to government documents and private communications. Ellison is no longer just a tech billionaire—he is positioning himself as the world’s AI data guy.
The Ellison Dynasty: Conquering Hollywood and Shaping Narratives
Larry Ellison’s influence extends beyond data centres and into the world of entertainment, thanks to his son, David Ellison, owner of Skydance Media. Skydance is the Hollywood powerhouse behind blockbuster franchises like Transformers, Terminator, and Mission: Impossible.
Recently, David Ellison orchestrated one of the biggest deals in modern entertainment: a merger with Paramount Global. This media giant owns CBS, one of America’s largest and most influential television networks, in addition to film studios and streaming platforms.
The Paramount Merger and the Colbert Question
This merger isn’t just a business deal; it’s a shift in the cultural landscape. CBS has shaped American public opinion for decades. As the merger was being negotiated, a curious event took place:
- A Sudden Cancellation: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, one of CBS’s most politically outspoken programs, was abruptly cancelled, with its run ending in 2026.
- Suspicious Timing: Just days earlier, Colbert had criticised the network for its financial dealings with Donald Trump. Colbert was also one of the few mainstream voices on the network actively challenging Israel’s military actions.
- Trump’s Reaction: Upon hearing the news, Donald Trump posted his satisfaction, stating, “I absolutely love that Colbert got fired.”
This sequence of events raises serious questions about whether the network’s corporate values and editorial direction are shifting to align with the new ownership’s political leanings. With one move, a key critical voice was silenced, potentially opening the door for narratives more favourable to the Ellisons’ alliances.
A Decades-Long Alliance: Ellison’s Deep Ties to Israel
Larry Ellison’s influence is perhaps most pronounced in his unwavering support for Israel, which he has woven into his business and personal life. His commitment goes far beyond simple political alignment.
- Strategic Infrastructure: Oracle launched a massive, underground cloud data centre in Jerusalem, a project Ellison described as both a strategic necessity for Israel and a personal show of affection.
- Personal Friendships: His friendship with former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spans decades. Ellison has been named a potential witness in Netanyahu’s bribery trial and has hosted the Netanyahu family at his private Hawaiian island.
- Financial Support: Public records show significant financial contributions to Israeli causes, including over $26 million to the Friends of the Israel Defence Forces (FIDF) and half a million dollars to fortify a community centre in Sderot, near the Gaza border.
Ellison frames his support not through religious identity but through a strong national and cultural affinity, aligning him firmly with Zionist political priorities. With his expanding control over global data and media, his pro-Israel stance is a powerful convergence of technology, wealth, and geopolitical loyalty.
| Connection to Israel | Details |
| Oracle Data Centre | A state-of-the-art, underground cloud facility in Jerusalem. |
| Relationship with Benjamin Netanyahu | A decades-long personal friendship, named as a potential witness in Netanyahu’s corruption trial. |
| Financial Contributions | Over $26 million to Friends of the IDF; $500,000 to a community centre in Sderot. |
| Stated Motivation | A belief in Israel’s strategic importance and its role as a hub of technological innovation. |
The Alarming Vision: A World of Seamless Surveillance?
What happens when one man holds the keys to our data, our media, and has deep-seated political allegiances? Larry Ellison has been surprisingly open about his vision for a data-driven society.
He once claimed that citizens would “be on their best behaviour” if they were constantly recorded and monitored. But his ideas didn’t stop there. Ellison also proposed creating a single national database for the government. This system would pull together every piece of a citizen’s information, from financial records to travel logs, and feed it all into an artificial intelligence program for analysis.
This vision is no longer theoretical. With control over Oracle’s cloud infrastructure and influence over media giants like Paramount, Ellison is in a unique position to make mass surveillance not just possible, but seamless. He can potentially influence what you watch, what you read, and how you behave, all without ever running for office.
What Larry Ellison’s Influence Means for You
Larry Ellison sits at the crossroads of technology, media, and politics, with a reach few can comprehend. His journey from a CIA database project to the pinnacle of AI and media power is a stark reminder of how concentrated power can shape our world.
His control over the servers that store our data and the platforms that craft our conversations means his influence runs deeper than most of us can imagine. The critical question is no longer just what he will do with this power, but how it is already shaping what we see, hear, and ultimately believe.
What You Can Do
In an era of consolidated power, awareness is the first step toward digital autonomy.
- Be a Critical Consumer of Media: Question the narratives presented to you. Understand who owns the media outlets you follow and what their potential biases might be.
- Understand Your Data Footprint: Be mindful of the data you share online and the platforms you use. Support technologies and companies that prioritise user privacy.
- Support Independent Journalism: Seek out and support independent media sources that offer diverse perspectives and are not beholden to corporate or political interests.