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A look inside Trump's relationship with Oracle cofounder Larry Ellison, who hosted a Trump fundraiser months before his firm reportedly bid for TikTok
A look inside Trump's relationship with Oracle cofounder Larry Ellison, who hosted a Trump fundraiser months before his firm reportedly bid for TikTok
Debanjali BoseAug 21, 2020, 03:54 IST
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
US tech giant Oracle is reportedly preparing a bid for the US operations of massively popular social media app TikTok.
President Trump, expressing support for Oracle's bid, called it a "great company."
Larry Ellison, the Oracle cofounder, is one of the richest people in the world and has previously hosted a fundraiser for Trump at his Coachella Valley home (he told Forbes he didn't attend).
Representatives for Oracle declined to comment for this story. The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to request for comment.
Take a look inside their relationship.
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Oracle is reportedly eyeing a bid to take over popular social media app TikTok — with President Trump's support.
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Ellison stepped down as Oracle CEO in 2014 but continues to enjoy his position as one of the richest people in the world.
Larry Ellison in 1996.
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In a Forbes profile from April 2020, Ellison said he supports Trump and wants him to do well.
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Ellison held a fundraiser for Trump at his Rancho Mirage home in February, with the contributions going to a fundraising committee created in collaboration between his campaign and the state and national chapters of the Republican Party.
U.S. President Donald Trump.
REUTERS/Leah Millis
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Though Ellison has maintained that he wasn't physically present at the fundraiser, his hosting didn't sit well with some of his employees.
Outside shot of an Oracle building.
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Per Forbes, Ellison and Trump had a phone call in the initial days of the coronavirus pandemic in the US. It is unclear who called whom.
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Ellison brought together engineers at his own company and federal agencies to create a far-reaching coronavirus database.
Coronavirus testing continues at the ProHealth testing centers in Jericho, New York on April 22, 2020.
J. Conrad Williams, Jr./Newsday RM via Getty Images
Trump put Ellison on the tech cohort of his Great American Economic Revival Industry Groups.
Apple CEO Tim Cook attends the world premiere of Apple's "The Morning Show" at David Geffen Hall on Monday, Oct. 28, 2019, in New York City.
Evan Agostini/Invision/AP
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In February, the Trump administration argued before the Supreme Court that Microsoft's decade-long legal case against Oracle be dismissed. This recommendation came on the same day as Trump's fundraiser at Ellison's Coachella Valley home.
The Microsoft logo is shown on the Microsoft Theatre at the E3 2017 Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles
Reuters
Ellison isn't the only top Oracle employee to show President Trump support. In 2016, co-CEO Safra Catz joined the transition team.