Larry Ellison, the co-founder of Oracle Corporation, is well-known not just for his incredible success in the tech world but also for his eccentric personality and extravagant lifestyle. Over the years, his quirks and behaviors have added to his reputation as a colorful and sometimes polarizing figure. The billionaire is famously adept at getting his way, both in business and in his personal endeavors. He is not afraid to use litigation or public posturing to press his point and secure his objectives. A great example of this is how Ellison sued the city of San Jose in California for using his private jet during late hours.
According to SF Gate, Ellison fought with the San Jose International Airport over after-hours landings of his $38 million Gulfstream V private jet that lasted for two years. The dispute began in the year 1999 when the San Jose International Airport objected to the flamboyant billionaire from landing and taking off between 11:30 pm and 6:30 am, citing an ordinance that banned planes weighing more than 75,000 pounds from using the airport during those hours. The restrictions were part of the city’s efforts to reduce noise pollution. Ellison’s Gulfstream V weighed around 90,500 pounds at takeoff when fully fueled.
The city officials even threatened to sue Ellison after his Gulfstream V recorded nine violations of the airport curfew. However, the eccentric tech entrepreneur does what he wants and is always ready to go the extra mile to get his way.
At the beginning of the millennium, Ellison sued the city for the right to land his private plane at San Jose International Airport after dark. In the suit, he charged the city with unfairly enforcing the ordinance, arguing that the luxury corporate jet is much quieter than some planes exempted from the night curfew.
“The way the ordinance is written right now, it just doesn’t make any sense,” said Edward P. Davis, Jr., an attorney for Wing and a Prayer, the Ellison-led corporation that operated the private jet. “With advances in technology, the fact that your airplane is heavier doesn’t mean that your airplane is noisier.” The court ultimately ruled in favor of Ellison, clearing him to land his jet during the curfew hours. In the ruling, the judge asked the airport officials to give a concession to the billionaire, ending the protracted legal battle.
Larry Ellison has long parted with his Gulfstream V and now flies in a Gulfstream G650. With a price tag of $75 million, the jet has a range of 7,000 nautical miles and can carry 11 to 18 passengers, depending on its configuration. While the interiors of Ellison’s jet have never been made public, we can easily imagine them being inspired by Japanese culture.
