"Ellison's $40 billion promise to personally back his son's Paramount deal is not a charitable donation in the classic sense. It is something more emblematic of this billionaire era: philanthropic capitalism, where vast personal fortunes are deployed through markets rather than around them, and "giving it away" increasingly means reshaping industries instead of writing checks to traditional charities. It lands at the exact moment that the older model of billionaire philanthropy-epitomized"
"This would be notable even if Ellison had never uttered a word about philanthropy. But the Oracle cofounder has publicly pledged to give away at least 95% of his fortune over time, joining the cohort of mega‑donors who say they do not intend to die with most of their wealth. In that context, the Paramount guarantee looks less like a side bet and more like a preview of how he intends to fulfill that promise:"
Larry Ellison, 81, committed more than $40 billion in equity and debt support to back the Paramount-Skydance merger as a personal guarantee. The commitment converts a hostile takeover attempt into a family-backed capital project led by his son, David Ellison, who aims to fuse legacy Hollywood assets with a tech-forward, streaming-native strategy. The move exemplifies philanthropic capitalism, deploying vast private wealth through market deals rather than traditional charitable channels. The commitment contrasts with foundation-based giving models and aligns with Ellison's public pledge to give away at least 95% of his fortune, suggesting a strategy to fulfill that promise via industry-shaping investments.
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