Billionaire Larry Ellison has invested his profits from co-founding tech giant Oracle into resorts, spas and stakes of sports businesses and his son's growing media empire. A new purchase is a little further afield, involving wildebeests, giraffes and even chimpanzees.
Ellison expanded his holdings in Palm Beach County with the $30 million purchase of South Florida’s sole drive-thru safari.
An entity that shares the same Walnut Creek, California, address as the Larry Ellison Foundation bought the Lion Country Safari, a 254.2-acre property at 2003 Lion Country Safari Road, about 15 miles west of downtown West Palm Beach.
Lion Country Safari opened in 1967 and offers visitors the opportunity to drive or walk through parts of the four-mile preserve. The park hosts a pride of African lions and animals from six continents, including the wildebeests, giraffes, and chimpanzees, as well as rhinos and the largest group of zebras in North America, according to its website.
“After 58 years of leadership and dedication to wildlife, conservation and education, Lion Country Safari is saying farewell to the last members of its founding family, as ownership transitions to the Larry Ellison family who has a longstanding commitment to wildlife conservation,” according to a statement on the park’s website.
Neither officials from Lion Country Safari nor the Larry Ellison Foundation would comment further.
Situated deep in Palm Beach County, Lion Country Safari is the latest addition to the software billionaire’s expansive portfolio that includes real estate, the Indian Wells tennis tournament and a nearly 50% stake in Paramount Skydance after the merger of Paramount with his son's company Skydance last quarter.
Real estate portfolio
Ellison, who co-founded Oracle in 1977, is one of the richest people in the world, according to Forbes.
He acquired South Florida's Eau Palm Beach Resort and Spa for $277.4 million in 2024. The resort lies in the quiet luxury enclave of Manalapan, a town south of West Palm Beach where home prices range from $2.2 million to $285 million, according to Homes.com.
Ellison's real estate holdings also include properties throughout South Florida, California and the majority of the Hawaiian island of Lanai.
Earlier this year, the Larry Ellison Foundation opened a 197-acre wildlife conservation center, run by the Peninsula Humane Society and SPCA, in Saratoga, California.
According to the statement from Lion Country Safari, operations at the South Florida park will continue as normal.
“Our proud history and exemplary record in animal care, welfare and preservation will continue to be a core focus in the future. Operations will continue as normal, and our commitment to engagement, guest experience and wildlife conservation remains unchanged,” the statement said.