INSIGHTS

How Larry Ellison set his stock in motion - and Hollywood with it

In the lead-up to 2025, Paramount faced a crossroads – drowning in debt, restless shareholders, and a merger with Skydance that faced significant hurdles.

Larry Ellison (Oracle’s co-founder, Chairman and CTO) didn’t just back the deal – he rewrote the script, turning what looked unlikely into a blockbuster. 

Ellison supplied the decisive capital that made the Paramount-Skydance merger possible, while his son David – with 15 years of Hollywood experience – brought the creative credibility and industry relationships to see it through. Together, they bridged finance and film: billions unlocked through Oracle shares paired with connections that gave those dollars real impact, ultimately getting the deal across the line. 

Ellison’s fortune rests in Oracle shares - tens of billions’ worth – but he has never treated them as static trophies. For years, he has pledged those shares as collateral, unlocking liquidity from his stock to grab the next opportunity.  

By leveraging Oracle stock, he was able to finance $6 billion into the Paramount-Skydance deal. National Amusements (Paramount’s controlling shareholder) was bought out. Non-controlling shareholders were offered a cash/stock election. Debt was repaid and the company was recapitalized.

The transaction closed in August 2025, and one of Hollywood’s oldest studios had been transformed. Ellison had turned paper wealth into motion picture finance, literally.

‍

Assets in Motion

Ellison’s genius wasn’t just in having billions – it was in structuring his assets to move when opportunity knocked.

This is not a principle reserved for billionaires. Investors at every scale – those holding private companies, property and other real assets – face the same choice: leave wealth frozen on the wall like a still portrait or set it rolling like a reel – alive with liquidity, growth, and possibility.

‍

Rampart’s Role

At Rampart Capital, this is our core belief. We help clients leverage their existing assets to take the next opportunity when it comes. We’ve been supporting ambitious investors, to use  their existing assets to grow again - whether it be – stocks, property, managed funds or private equity holdings and alike – into a narrative of liquidity and opportunity.

The goal is simple: give our clients the same optionality Ellison has long mastered. To move quickly. To invest decisively. To preserve what they’ve built while still putting it to work.

‍

‍