Most of Larry Ellison’s treasures — from Bono’s guitar to a collection of surrealist artwork — don’t require much in the way of maintenance. But the 68-year-old Oracle CEO’s latest prize has become both a business venture and a hobby: He’s trying to revitalize the entire island of Lanai, a Hawaiian locale that he nearly owns in its entirety. The Wall Street Journal reports that since Ellison purchased the island in June of last year, he’s been busy revamping everything from resorts, to restaurants, to community pools. The island now thrives or flounders on Ellison’s word, and so far he’s apparently been a success. “As far as I’m concerned, he has not made a single misstep,” said Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie.
Oracle CEO plans resorts, restaurants, and EV chargers for Hawaiian island overhaul
is The Verge’s executive editor. He has covered tech, policy, and online creators for over a decade.
Ellison’s latest focus has been to significantly overhaul water desalination plants on Lanai, boosting their daily capacity by 150 percent. The WSJ has more on Ellison’s purchase and plans, including how he’s gaining Lanai residents’ favor, and his hopes for installing electric vehicle charging stations on the island.
Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.
Most Popular
Most Popular
- Tesla sunsets its Solar Roof tiles
- $100 Best Buy gift cards will be $60 at stores Saturday
- Amazon just hiked the prices for Echo, Fire TV, and Kindle products by up to 60 percent
- An okay laptop with 16GB of RAM is better than a nice laptop with 8GB, and this $520 HP OmniBook proves it
- Why does it seem like food recalls are out of control this year?
