Billionaire worth $230B receives speeding ticket while driving on his own island
Just because you have almost all the money in the world, that doesn't mean you're above the law. Like we saw when the world's richest crammed into the Capitol Rotunda for President Donald Trump's second inauguration, the tech world dominates the rankings when it comes to the money-making elite.
Elon Musk's jaw-dropping $766.5 billion net worth puts him well on track to becoming the world's first trillionaire, and when you realize Google's Larry Page is in second with just $263.7 billion, it becomes clear just how rich the Tesla overlord actually is.
One person no stranger to wealth is Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, who's a key ally and close friend of Donald Trump. You might've heard about Ellison recently, due to his son (David) trying to head up Paramount Skydance's failed acquisition of Netflix.
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Larry Ellison has previously drummed up controversy when he was forced to rename his boat due to an unfortunate naming problem, and once tried to sue Google for a whopping $9 billion. This apparently isn't his only run-in with the law. Despite his massive wealth and owning 98% of all the land on one Hawaiian island, Ellison was given a ticket and a caution for speeding there.
As reported by Supercar Blondie, the incident took place in January 2023, and back then, Ellison was the seventh-richest man in the world. He's since seen his wealth climb, and while the rankings and earnings keep changing, Forbes claims he's currently worth an impressive $227 billion.
Bodycam footage from after the officer exits their car shows Ellison being pulled over on the island of Lanai and being questioned about his speed. When asking the tech billionaire if he has a license on him, Ellison says he doesn't, but goes on to explain: “I was trying to get home for dinner with my kids but there’s no excuse. There’s no good excuse."
Even owning 98% of the island doesn't get Ellison off with this snaffoo, with the officer being praised for his actions.
Speaking to Hawaii News Now when it occurred, local politician Gabe Johnson said: "Some communities, as we all know, have let the elites just run wild.
“To have one of our own police officers actually treat him like an equal just as everyone should be treated equally under the eyes of the law — I’m proud to say, ‘Nice job’."
In terms of what Ellison was driving, the outlet said it was a rather modest Chevrolet C8 Corvette convertible. While it might not exactly be a Bugatti La Voiture Noire, we imagine its burnt orange color helped it attract the attention of the cops.
Lanai is the sixth-largest of the Hawaiian Islands and was purchased by Ellison for $300 million. Away from him zooming around the island, there's been backlash due to him owning most of the property and businesses there.
Notably, Ellison was called out for allegedly enforcing 30-day leases, instead of the usual five-year norm, on premises that he rents to small businesses.
It's also said that those who work in Lanai are known to sign NDAs, with one former Four Seasons employee claiming they were suspended after they mentioned Tom Cruise had visited the island.