Larry Ellison: The Oracle Founder Who Married Four Times and Learned the Hard Way About Prenups
Four marriages, four divorces, and a fortune that grew from nothing to $100 billion between them
Key Facts
What Happened
Larry Ellison, co-founder and longtime CEO of Oracle Corporation, is one of the wealthiest people in the world with a fortune exceeding $100 billion. He has also been married and divorced four times, with each marriage coinciding with a different chapter in Oracle's explosive growth. His romantic history tracks the arc of Silicon Valley itself -- from scrappy startup to global dominance -- and each divorce came with its own set of increasingly complex financial stakes.
His first marriage to Adda Quinn (1967--1974) and second to Nancy Wheeler Jenkins (1977--1978) occurred before Oracle existed, when Ellison was a programmer bouncing between jobs. His third marriage, to Barbara Boothe in 1983, coincided with Oracle's early growth period. Boothe, a former Oracle receptionist, gave him two children -- David and Megan, who would both become prominent film producers (David at Skydance Media, Megan at Annapurna Pictures). When they divorced in 1986, Oracle was a growing but still-private company. The settlement's exact terms remain private, though sources estimate it was substantial.
His fourth marriage to novelist Melanie Craft in 2003 was a lavish affair with Steve Jobs serving as best man. By this time, Ellison was a seasoned veteran of divorce proceedings and reportedly had a comprehensive prenuptial agreement in place. When they divorced in 2010, the separation was handled quickly and privately -- a stark contrast to the protracted nature of his earlier splits.
Ellison's serial marriages produced a famous quip attributed to various colleagues: 'The difference between God and Larry Ellison is that God doesn't think he's Larry Ellison.' His divorce history demonstrates how a tech founder's evolving wealth transforms the stakes of each successive marriage. The early divorces had minimal financial impact; the later ones required sophisticated prenuptial planning to protect a fortune that was growing by billions each year.
Legal Breakdown: Prenuptial Agreements
Evolving Prenuptial Strategy Across Multiple Marriages
Ellison's four marriages illustrate how a serial-marrying tech billionaire can learn and adapt. His early marriages (pre-Oracle) had little to protect. By his fourth marriage, he reportedly had ironclad prenuptial protections. The lesson for anyone with growing wealth: your prenuptial agreement should evolve with your financial situation. An agreement from your first marriage may be wholly inadequate for your second or third.
Startup Equity and Divorce Timing
The timing of Ellison's third divorce -- while Oracle was still private -- meant the company's value was difficult to establish. Had the divorce occurred after Oracle's IPO, the equity division would have been far more contentious. For tech founders, the stage of your company (pre-revenue, Series A, pre-IPO, post-IPO) dramatically affects the divorce settlement. Get independent valuations early.
The Importance of Quick, Private Resolution
Ellison's fourth divorce, handled swiftly with a prenup in place, shows the value of preparation. Compare this to his third divorce, which was more protracted and uncertain. The billionaires who fare best in divorce are those who plan for it before the marriage begins -- not out of cynicism, but out of practical wisdom.
What This Means for Your Divorce
- →Update your prenuptial agreement with each new marriage to reflect your current wealth and the complexity of your assets.
- →The timing of a divorce relative to a company's growth stage (startup vs. IPO) can change the settlement by orders of magnitude.
- →Quick, private resolution saves money, reputation, and emotional energy. Invest in a comprehensive prenup and you invest in a faster exit.
- →Children from previous marriages add complexity. Ensure your estate plan and prenup address inheritance, trust structures, and custody across blended families.
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This article is based on publicly available court records, news reports, and legal analysis. It is provided for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by reading this content.
Divorce laws vary by jurisdiction. Always consult a licensed attorney in your area before making legal decisions.