Read by Donald Trump, Larry Ellison, Chip Wilson and 4 others
What books does Larry Ellison recommend?
Larry Ellison co-founded Oracle and commercialized the first relational database, and his book recommendations tilt toward history, biography, and the study of ambitious individuals. The 11 titles here are drawn from his Academy of Achievement interview and accounts in books about him, including Softwar and The Billionaire and the Mechanic. History, biography and memoir, and leadership dominate. The one recommendation he speaks about most personally is Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead: "As a kid, I wanted to be an architect. That's before I read The Fountainhead." He's drawn to Napoleon as a subject, noting that Vincent Cronin's biography shows "what one man of modest birth can do with his life," and titles found on his nightstand and Kindle round out a portrait of an omnivorous reader of power and history.
Last updated February 2026 · Every recommendation cited to its original source.
byAyn Rand
1943752 Pages“As a kid, I wanted to be an architect. That's before I read The Fountainhead.”
— Larry Ellison
Source: Academy of Achievement Interview
Read by Larry Ellison
The Robber Barons
The Great American Capitalists, 1861-1901
byMatthew Josephson
1934492 PagesSource: Academy of Achievement Interview
Read by Larry Ellison
Napoleon
An Intimate Biography
byVincent Cronin
1971480 Pages“It's interesting to read about him for a couple of reasons: to see what one man of modest birth can do with his life, and to see how history can distort the truth entirely.”
— Larry Ellison
Source: Academy of Achievement Interview
Read by Larry Ellison
The Age of Napoleon
A History of European Civilization from 1789 to 1815
byWill Durant, Ariel Durant
1975872 PagesSource: Academy of Achievement Interview
Read by Jeff Bezos, Gabe Newell, Marc Benioff and 1 others
The Mythical Man-Month
Essays on Software Engineering
byFrederick P. Brooks Jr.
1995336 PagesSource: Cited in 'Softwar' and corporate biographies as mandatory reading for Oracle executives
Read by Larry Ellison
Lone Survivor
The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10
byMarcus Luttrell
2007400 PagesSource: Found on his Kindle in 'The Billionaire and the Mechanic'
A Peace to End All Peace
The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East
byDavid Fromkin
2001672 Pages(9,671)
Source: Recounted quoting it in 'The Billionaire and the Mechanic'
Read by Marc Benioff, Phil Knight, Larry Ellison and 7 others
The Art of War
The Essential Translation of the Classic Book of Life
bySun Tzu
2009384 PagesSource: Introduced to it by Ellison, according to former Oracle executive Marc Benioff
The Last Lion: Visions of Glory, 1874-1932
Winston Spencer Churchill
byWilliam Manchester
1983992 PagesSource: Found on his nightstand in 'The Billionaire and the Mechanic'
Read by Larry Ellison
Fate Is the Hunter
A Pilot's Memoir
byErnest K. Gann
1961390 PagesSource: Found on his nightstand in 'The Billionaire and the Mechanic'
Read by Larry Ellison
The Jordan Rules
The Inside Story of One Turbulent Season with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls
bySam Smith
1991333 PagesSource: Found on his nightstand in 'The Billionaire and the Mechanic'
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Frequently asked questions
What books does Larry Ellison recommend?
His 11 recommendations include The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, The Robber Barons by Matthew Josephson, Napoleon by Vincent Cronin, The Mythical Man-Month by Frederick Brooks, and The Art of War by Sun Tzu.
What is Larry Ellison's most recommended book?
A top pick is Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead. Ellison recalls, "As a kid, I wanted to be an architect. That's before I read The Fountainhead," pointing to the novel's early hold on him.
Why does Larry Ellison read about Napoleon?
He finds the subject instructive. Of Vincent Cronin's Napoleon he says it shows "what one man of modest birth can do with his life, and... how history can distort the truth entirely."
Where do Larry Ellison's book recommendations come from?
They come from his Academy of Achievement interview and from books documenting his life, including Softwar and The Billionaire and the Mechanic, where several titles were found on his nightstand and Kindle.
Has Larry Ellison written a book?
The book most associated with him is Softwar: An Intimate Portrait of Larry Ellison and Oracle (2004), the authorized biography built around extensive access to Ellison himself.
All 11 Books Larry Ellison Has Recommended
- The Fountainhead · Ayn Rand
- The Robber Barons · Matthew Josephson
- Napoleon · Vincent Cronin
- The Age of Napoleon · Will Durant
- The Mythical Man-Month · Frederick P. Brooks Jr.
- Lone Survivor · Marcus Luttrell
- A Peace to End All Peace · David Fromkin
- The Art of War · Sun Tzu
- The Last Lion: Visions of Glory, 1874-1932 · William Manchester
- Fate Is the Hunter · Ernest K. Gann
- The Jordan Rules · Sam Smith