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David Ellison was known as the heir to the Oracle Corporation and the son of billionaire Larry Ellison for most of his life. Things changed when he decided to step into the world of Hollywood and launch his production company. While people were not expecting Ellison to impact the entertainment industry, he raised the stakes with his investments and gave tough competition to well-established competitors. While he started as an actor and played small parts in movies, Ellison found his true passion in curating the best media and virtual reality content for people to stream. With the growing use of technology and digital platforms, Ellison’s empire has soared to new heights.
Ellison has managed to build an approximately $5 billion net worth which includes his trust fund money and his businesses. He quickly understood the power of smart business in Hollywood and made gold from his acquisitions and partnerships. Let’s take a look at how David Ellison built his million-dollar Hollywood Empire.
Skydance Media
David Ellison founded Skydance Media in 2010 along with his father Larry after making a partnership deal with Paramount Studios. According to Celeb Net Worth, the company raised $350 million in equity with a deal to co-produce and co-finance the movies. Some of the notable films produced by the company are Mission Impossible: Fallout, World War Z, Jack Reacher, Star Trek: Into Darkness, and Annihilation.
With the growing success of the production company, Ellison secured an additional $700 million in equity and debt financing in 2020. $500 million came from JP Morgan Chase, while the company's current shareholders invested the remainder of $200 million. The company is valued at $2.3 billion.
Executive Producer For Skydance Television
In 2013, Ellison decided to renew the Paramount contract for another four years and launched Skydance Television. The company has produced shows under collaborations with Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Apple+. Shows such as Jack Ryan, Grace And Frankie, and Foundation are highly popular on streaming platforms.
An intelligent move came from Ellison in February 2021 when the company signed a first-look deal with Impact, as reported by Variety. The development accelerator program will help Skydance scout content from emerging writers and consider applications regardless of the writers' location, demographics, and orientations. The first-look deal gives Skydance Television an advantage on the global platform.
LANAI Collection
Larry Ellison bought the Lanai Islands in Hawaii, which inspired his son to launch a men’s clothing brand of the same name in 2014. While Ellison uses his trust fund to launch businesses in Hollywood, he entered a different revenue-earning medium with clothing. Ellison is known for his sense of fashion and styling, which has helped him curate a team to lead the company forward.
While Ellison is not the designer behind the brand, he is hands-on in the creative aspects. According to Yahoo Finance, Ellison is the visionary behind the company. He wanted to create a collection that the Lanai Islands inspired. The clothes on the website start from $70 and range up to $2,000. Ellison also promotes his clothing brand when actors wear the apparel for the movies produced by his company.
Skydance Interactive
Followed by the entertainment and apparel line, Ellison acquired The Workshop Entertainment's gaming company in 2016 and created Skydance Interactive. The company specializes in producing virtual reality experiences. The company has produced several interactive games, including Archangel and The Walking Dead: Saints And Sinners.
The company found success in the virtual reality world after the launch of The Walking Dead: Saints and Sinners. In January 2021, the game had garnered $29 million since its launch in 2020, as stated by Mercury News. Released on Oculus Quest, the game was developed after the success, and a new mode was released in February 2021.
Skydance Animation
Ellison partnered with Spanish computer animation company Ilion Animation Studios and launched Skydance Animation in 2018. The company is headed by former Head of Pixar and Disney Animation John Lasseter. The animation studio has released several movies since its launch.
In February 2021, Skydance Animation landed a multi-year partnership with Apple+ to release movies such as Luck, Spellbound, The Search Of Wond-La, and Blush. The line-up will include more films in the upcoming months, with an exclusive release platform through Apple+.
Tencent Holdings Limited Partnership
In 2018, Ellison’s Skydance Media partnered with China’s leading provider in Internet services, Tencent Holdings Limited, to allow access to Tencent’s entire catalog of animations and games in Asia. The partnership will also enable Tencent Holdings to co-finance movies with Skydance Media.
Skydance will get hold of all the services offered by Tencent Holdings. The China-based company provides services in the fields of music, books, videos, and games. Their technology enhances the method of advertisers to reach millions of consumers around the world. The partnership also allowed the release of 43 projects under the collaboration.
David Ellison has managed to build an empire that has covered every aspect of providing incredible consumer experiences worldwide. His million-dollar kingdom has made deals and partnerships to offer the most exclusive content through streaming services and online platforms. With his career skyrocketing, Ellison is sure to receive more investment opportunities to expand his fortune.
Sources: Celeb Net Worth, Variety, Yahoo Finance, Mercury News
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