Ellison Adds Airlines to His Wealth

Larry Ellison, the chief executive of Oracle, has bought a Hawaiian airline barely a year after he bought a piece of land in Lana’I, an island off the coast of Maui in Hawaii.

Island Air, a commercial airline, has some 245 employees. According to the company, there would be no changes in its staff despite the sale. Island Air also assures its customers that it is business as usual.

It appears that Ellison is intent on investing in Hawaii. Last June, he purchased 98 percent of Lana’I, Hawaii’s sixth-largest island. Lana’i is also popular for its pineapple-growing history. Its size is some 365-square-kilometer.

Ellison is the eighth richest man in the world with a net worth of some US$40.7 billion. With the purchase of Island Air, he joins other billionaires who have investments in airlines like Richard Branson, the mogul behind Virgin Group.

Vijay Mallya is also the controlling owner of Kingfisher Airlines.