Larry Ellison’s TikTok Bid Raises Data Concerns

29 Sep 2025



Larry Ellison has quietly pivoted from Oracle’s longtime, behind‑the‑scenes tech boss to an active media builder — and TikTok appears to be the latest prize. In his 80s, Ellison and his family now control stakes across studios and networks (Skydance‑Paramount, CBS, Paramount+, movie studios and channels), and Oracle is reportedly set to own a major portion of TikTok’s US operations. Reporting cited in the piece notes details of a TikTok deal remain murky, but its immediate effect could be to strengthen an already vast media conglomerate under Ellison’s influence.




Ellison’s playbook combines enormous personal wealth and a history of aggressive business tactics: he’s bailed out or reorganized film studios tied to his children, funded Elon Musk’s Twitter purchase, and is reportedly eyeing additional acquisitions (including Warner Bros. Discovery). The article highlights concerns that such consolidation — along with the family’s political ties — could shape editorial decisions and the broader media ecosystem.




For AI audiences, a key point is Oracle’s foothold in data and infrastructure: Ellison has helped build large AI datacenters and Oracle already handles sizable American medical and financial datasets. Coupling that infrastructure and data access with control over major news and social platforms raises questions about concentration of power over data, AI compute, and public information flows.