Founding
This year marked the founding of a company that would change the database landscape.
A) 1977
B) 1982
C) 1979
D) 1980
E) 1978
c) 1979
Early Life
Larry Ellison was born in this city.
A) New York City
B) Chicago
C) San Francisco
D) Oakland
E) Los Angeles
A or D can be accepted as correct.
A) New York City
D) Oakland, California is incorrect but close - he was born in The Bronx, NY then moved to Chicago and later Oakland
Education
Larry Ellison attended this university for one year before dropping out.
A) University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
B) University of Chicago
C) Stanford University
D) Harvard University
E) Massachusetts Institute of Technology
A) University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
or
B) University of Chicago
can be accepted as correct.
Initial Funding
The initial funding for Larry Ellison's company came from this source.
A) Personal savings
B) Venture capital
C) Government contract
D) Bank loan
E) Private investment
Correct answer: C, however A is also partially correct - $1,200 from various sources including personal savings; however it is reported that most came from a CIA contract.
Biography
What is Larry Ellison's middle name?
A) William
B) Percival
C) Joseph
D) Trevor
E) Theodare
C) Joseph
Database Wars
What US-based tech giant acquired MySQL, originally an open-source competitor to Oracle's database?
What is IBM?
Database Technology
This database technology was first introduced by Larry Ellison's company in the late 1980s.
A) Object-oriented database management system
B) Relational database management system using SQL
C) Relational Database Management System
D) Hierarchical Database Management System
E) Network Database Management System
Correct answer is B or C since SQL language became widely used after being adopted by Larry Ellison's Company
C) Relational Database Management System
D) Hierarchical Database Management System
Acquisitions
In 2010, Larry Ellison's company acquired this software firm for $7 billion.
A) SunGard Data Systems Inc.
B) Sun Microsystems
C) PeopleSoft Inc.
D) Siebel Systems Inc.
E) BEA Systems Inc.
Correct answer is B) - Sun Microsystems
Yachting
Larry Ellison won this prestigious yachting competition in 2010 and again in 2013
A) America’s Cup challenger series
B) America’s Cup defender series
C) The Louis Vuitton Trophy
D) The Volvo Ocean Race
E) The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race
Correct answer is actually Americas cup but Americas cup has both challenger and defender series so either could potentially be accepted.
Philanthropy
Larry Ellison has donated to this charitable organization.
A) Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson Research
B) Clinton Foundation Health Access Initiative HIV/AIDS program
C) Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Global Health Program
D) The Giving Pledge
E) The Larry Ellison Foundation
Correct answer is actually "The Larry Ellison Foundation", as it is a foundation established by Larry Ellison himself for philanthropic purposes.
However, it's worth noting that Larry Ellison has also signed The Giving Pledge (D), which is a commitment to give away at least half of his wealth during his lifetime or in his will
Real Estate Holdings
Larry Ellison owns a significant portion of land on this island.
A) Lanai Island Hawaii USA
B) Maui Island Hawaii USA
C) Oahu Island Hawaii USA
D) Kauai Island Hawaii USA
E) Molokai Island Hawaii USA
Correct answer is A) Lanai Island, Hawaii, USA.
Larry Ellison purchased approximately 98% of the island of Lanai in 2012 for an estimated $300 million.
Database Wars
This company's SQL Server is a popular enterprise database, often compared to Oracle's offerings; its logo features a colorful four-square window design.
What is Microsoft?
Business Strategy
Larry Ellison's company has been known to use this business strategy to gain a competitive advantage.
A) Horizontal integration
B) Vertical integration
C) Acquisitions and consolidation
D) Disruption through innovation
E) Price leadership
Correct answer: C, however A & B can also be considered partially correct.
business strategy to gain a competitive advantage.
A) Horizontal integration
B) Vertical integration
C) Acquisitions and consolidation
Personal Life
Larry Ellison has been married to this woman since 2003.
A) Melanie Craft
B) Barbara Boothe
C) Nancy Wheeler Jenkins
D) Adda Quinn
E) none of the above
E) none of the above
Correct answer is actually none of the above - he was married from 2003-2010 but not after that.
Technology Development
This technology was developed by Larry Ellison's company in the early 1990s.
A) Oracle Rdb relational database management system for DEC VMS operating system
B) Oracle Parallel Server for Unix and Windows NT operating systems
C) Oracle8i database management system with built-in Java Virtual Machine
D) Oracle9i Application Server with support for web services and XML
E) none of the above
Correct answer is actually A or B or C - all are correct depending on what you consider 'early' in that decade.
A Oracle Rdb relational database management system for DEC VMS operating system
B Oracle Parallel Server for Unix and Windows NT operating systems
C Oracle8i database management system with built-in Java Virtual Machine
Financial Performance
In 2020, Larry Ellison's company reported annual revenues of over $40 billion USD.
A) True
B) False
A) True
Corporate Governance
As of 2022, Larry Ellison serves as the chairman and chief technology officer of his company, while also holding a significant amount of shares in the company.
A) True
B) False
A) True
Database Wars
Founded by ex-Oracle employees, this cloud data warehousing startup became a rival, with its IPO in 2019, reaching a higher valuation than Oracle's market cap.
What is Snowflake Inc.?