Most billionaires buy a private jet and move on. Larry Ellison bought a Gulfstream, sued a city for the right to land it after dark, staged mock dogfights over the Pacific in a retired Italian Air Force trainer, and tried to import a decommissioned MiG-29 fighter jet from Russia. The US government stopped him on that last one. Mostly. Ellison’s relationship with aviation is not a status symbol story. It is a window into how the Oracle co-founder approaches everything: push harder, go faster, and never take no for an answer.
Today, Ellison’s primary private jet is a Gulfstream G650 registered N817GS, owned through his shell company Wing and a Prayer Inc., based in Walnut Creek, California. The aircraft, serial number 6111, rolled off the Savannah production line in 2014 and entered Ellison’s fleet in 2015, at a list price of approximately $75 million. It is one of the fastest and longest-range business jets ever built, capable of connecting any two points on earth with just a single fuel stop. Before the G650, Ellison flew a Gulfstream V so loudly associated with his name that it sparked a federal lawsuit against the city of San Jose. And before that, he was flying fighter jets for fun.
This article covers Larry Ellison’s full aviation history: his current G650 and its performance specs, the Gulfstream V that went to court, his fighter jet collection, carbon emissions data, famous flights, and how his Gulfstream so impressed Steve Jobs that it directly shaped the design of Apple’s corporate jet.
Quick facts about Larry Ellison’s private jet
Larry Ellison’s Private Jet Fleet
Ellison’s current fleet centers on his Gulfstream G650, a long-range ultra-business jet that can fly nonstop from San Jose to Tokyo. Before the G650, Ellison flew a Gulfstream V. His broader aviation collection has at various points included an SIAI-Marchetti S.211 Italian military trainer and, reportedly, a Mikoyan MiG-29 Fulcrum.
The Origin Story: From a $38M Gulfstream to a Federal Lawsuit
Ellison’s relationship with private aviation did not start with a polite phone call to a fractional ownership company. He flew fighter jets for sport, then escalated to a Gulfstream V, and then escalated to federal court when a city told him when he could land it.
Late 1990s
Ellison flies an Italian military trainer for fun. He acquires an SIAI-Marchetti S.211, a jet trainer once operated by the Italian Air Force. Ellison regularly conducts mock dogfights over the Pacific with his son David.
Late 1990s
MiG-29 ambitions. Ellison attempts to import a decommissioned Russian MiG-29 Fulcrum. The US government blocks the move, classifying the Mach 2.25 fighter as a firearm. Ellison later says: “It is disarmed, but theoretically you could rearm it and take out a couple of cities.” Some reports suggest he eventually obtained it for his private collection.
Late 1990s–2000s
Gulfstream V becomes Ellison’s primary jet. The $38 million aircraft, registered to Wing and a Prayer Inc., becomes Ellison’s main transport for Oracle business, international travel, and his growing collection of residences.
~2000
Ellison sues the city of San Jose. San Jose International Airport enforces a nighttime curfew for aircraft over 75,000 pounds. Fully fueled, Ellison’s Gulfstream V weighs 90,500 lbs. He argues the jet is quieter than smaller aircraft exempt from the ban. A federal court agrees, ruling that “twenty Gulfstream V jets taking off at the same time would make less noise than one Beechjet 400.” Ellison wins.
~2000
Ellison’s Gulfstream inspires Steve Jobs. Jobs, Ellison’s close friend, sees the customized Gulfstream V and decides he wants one. When Apple’s board rewards him for saving the company, Jobs asks for the same aircraft. Jobs spends over a year with Jony Ive redesigning the interior. Ellison later says: “I look at his airplane and mine, and everything he changed was better.”
2014
Gulfstream G650 serial 6111 is manufactured. The aircraft exits the Savannah production line and becomes available for sale. It is, at the time, the largest, fastest, and most expensive business jet Gulfstream has ever built.
2015
Ellison acquires N817GS. The G650 enters Ellison’s fleet via Wing and a Prayer Inc. at a list price of approximately $75 million. It becomes his primary aircraft and replaces the Gulfstream V.
2022
N817GS logs 147 flights. According to ClimateJets data, the G650 flies 147 flights, covering 72,747 miles and emitting an estimated 597 metric tons of CO2. International destinations include Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Japan.
Inside Larry Ellison’s Gulfstream G650 (N817GS)
The Gulfstream G650 is a clean-sheet design introduced by Gulfstream in December 2012. When Ellison acquired N817GS in 2015, the G650 was the pinnacle of business aviation: the largest, fastest, and most expensive jet Gulfstream built. It has since been surpassed by the G700 and G800, but the G650 remains one of the most capable private jets ever produced, and Ellison has not felt the need to upgrade.
The aircraft is powered by two Rolls-Royce BR725 engines producing approximately 17,000 pounds of thrust each, giving the G650 a maximum cruise speed of Mach 0.925 and a top tested speed of Mach 0.995 during flight testing. Its 7,500 nautical mile range allows nonstop flights from California to Japan, or from California to Europe with room to spare, covering the full breadth of Ellison’s business and personal travel needs. The cabin spans 46 feet 10 inches in length at 8 feet 2 inches wide, with a stand-up height of 6 feet 3 inches. Configured for up to 13 passengers, the G650 features Gulfstream’s signature panoramic oval windows, 16 of them, which are among the largest in any business jet.
Performance
Cabin
Ownership
Ellison’s most-visited airports with the G650 reflect his life between multiple residences: Van Nuys Airport (VNY) in Los Angeles, Palm Beach International (PBI) in Florida, San Jose International (SJC) near Oracle’s former Silicon Valley campus, and Honolulu for connections to Lanai, the Hawaiian island where Ellison owns 98% of the land. The G650 also makes regular international runs: it has been tracked at Farnborough (FAB) in England, Palma de Mallorca (PMI), Nice Cote d’Azur (NCE), and Shannon (SNN), consistent with Ellison’s pattern of European summers and transatlantic business.
Wing and a Prayer Inc.
Like many ultra-high-net-worth aircraft owners, Ellison holds N817GS through a Delaware-registered LLC rather than personally. Wing and a Prayer Inc. is the FAA-registered owner. This structure is standard practice for asset protection and operational flexibility, and is common across the billionaire class.
The Gulfstream V: A $38 Million Jet That Went to Federal Court
Before the G650, Ellison flew a Gulfstream V, a long-range jet introduced in 1997 and widely regarded as one of the finest business aircraft of its era. The Gulfstream V has a range of approximately 6,500 nautical miles, powered by two BMW/Rolls-Royce BR710 turbofans. It can carry up to 14 passengers in a full-length stand-up cabin. At a period list price of around $38 million, it was the flagship of business aviation when Ellison acquired it.
Ellison’s Gulfstream V became most famous not for its range or interior, but for a federal lawsuit it triggered. San Jose International Airport (SJC), Ellison’s home airport, maintained a nighttime noise curfew prohibiting aircraft over 75,000 pounds from landing between 11:30 pm and 6:30 am. The Gulfstream V, fully fueled, weighs approximately 90,500 pounds. Ellison sued the city, arguing the ordinance was arbitrarily applied: his jet was quieter than several smaller aircraft that were exempt from the curfew. A US District Court in California agreed, finding that “twenty Gulfstream V jets taking off at the same time would make less noise than one Beechjet 400, an aircraft exempt from the curfew.” The court ruled in Ellison’s favor and the curfew exemption was granted.
Never take no for an answer
The San Jose lawsuit became a defining Ellison story not because of the legal outcome, but because of what it revealed about how he operates. Ellison spent years and millions in legal fees fighting a curfew that most people would have simply worked around. The curfew was discriminatory. He was probably right. He also just really did not want to be told when he could land his plane.
The Fighter Jet Collection: S.211 and the MiG That Almost Was
Ellison’s aviation ambitions have never been limited to business travel. In the late 1990s, he was a regular pilot of an SIAI-Marchetti S.211, an Italian-built military jet trainer originally used by the Italian Air Force. The S.211 is a full aerobatic aircraft with a composite airframe, capable of pulling up to 7G, with a service ceiling of 40,000 feet. Ellison flew it frequently over the Pacific, staging mock dogfights with his son David.
The S.211 was, apparently, not enough. Ellison also sought to import a decommissioned Mikoyan MiG-29 Fulcrum, the Soviet twin-engine air superiority fighter capable of Mach 2.25. US authorities blocked the import, classifying the aircraft as a firearm under US law. Ellison’s response to the Guardian at the time was characteristically direct: “It’s considered a firearm, even though that’s not my intention. It is disarmed, but theoretically you could rearm it and take out a couple of cities.” Some reports suggest Ellison eventually acquired the MiG-29 and it now sits in his private hangar collection, though it has never been cleared for operation in US airspace.
The MiG-29 and US law
A decommissioned MiG-29 imported into the United States is classified under federal weapons law as a firearm because its airframe and systems are capable of being re-armed. The classification is not about what the aircraft is currently equipped with but what it could be equipped with. This is also the reason several other surplus Soviet-era military aircraft have been blocked from import by private collectors.
Carbon Footprint and Emissions
Ellison’s G650 is one of the more efficient ultra-long-range jets in its class on a per-nautical-mile basis, but frequency of use determines total output. According to ClimateJets data for 2022, N817GS flew 147 flights across two aircraft in Ellison’s fleet, covering 72,747 miles and consuming 61,202 gallons of jet fuel. Total estimated CO2 output: 596.72 metric tons. That figure represents the equivalent annual carbon output of approximately 38 average Americans.
Source: ClimateJets 2022 estimates. Bar widths proportional within chart. Note: chart width capped; Taylor Swift and Musk values are significantly higher than Ellison’s.
Ellison’s private jet emissions are substantial but relatively modest compared to some of his tech peer group. Musk’s jet operations in 2022 generated an estimated 2,112 metric tons of CO2. Taylor Swift’s jets topped 8,293 metric tons that same year, drawing widespread media scrutiny. Ellison, by contrast, uses his G650 primarily for domestic travel between a handful of US locations, with periodic international trips to Europe and Japan. His Lanai lifestyle, centered on one island he largely owns and controls, also reduces the frequency of long-haul flights compared to celebrities with more scattered international commitments.
Larry Ellison’s Most Famous Private Jet Moments
The Jet That Made Steve Jobs Jealous
The most consequential flight Larry Ellison’s Gulfstream ever made may not have been one he piloted himself. When Steve Jobs saw Ellison’s customized Gulfstream V in the late 1990s, he wanted one. When Apple’s board rewarded Jobs for rescuing the company, he asked specifically for the same aircraft. Jobs then spent over a year redesigning the interior with Jony Ive, replacing polished steel cabin buttons with brushed metal versions, changing a separate open/close button arrangement to a single toggle, and refining every detail of the interior to his standards. Ellison, after seeing Jobs’ finished aircraft, said: “I look at his airplane and mine, and everything he changed was better.” It is one of the few times Ellison has conceded someone else had better taste.
The Night Curfew Lawsuit
Around the turn of the millennium, Ellison filed suit against the city of San Jose over the nighttime landing ban at SJC. The case became a minor landmark in aviation law, establishing that weight-based noise ordinances must be applied with actual noise data rather than weight proxies. The federal court ruling in Ellison’s favor was cited by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) as a key precedent in fighting discriminatory airport access rules. Ellison got his late-night landings. The city got a federal court education in decibel math.
Musk Flies to Lanai for a Meeting
In a notable inversion of the usual dynamic, Elon Musk flew his own private jet to Lanai to meet Larry Ellison at Ellison’s island. The meeting, reported by Fox Business, underscored Ellison’s decision to make the remote Hawaiian island his primary base of operations. Ellison owns 98% of Lanai and has funded an extension of the island’s runway to accommodate larger private jets, including his own G650. The runway project, which Ellison’s company paid for in full including environmental impact studies and construction, makes Lanai increasingly accessible for the kind of A-lister traffic that now routinely visits.
The Concorde That Launched a Database
In the summer of 1988, most tech companies launched products in hotel ballrooms with overhead projectors. Larry Ellison booked a Concorde. He filled it with analysts and press, took off from JFK, pointed the aircraft at the open Atlantic, and introduced Oracle 6 at twice the speed of sound. “We launched Oracle version 6 on the Concorde,” Oracle executive Mike Jacobs later said. “We took analysts and press for a flight to nowhere for dinner, and it was fast.” The parallel was deliberate. Oracle 6 was faster than IBM’s competing database. Flying Mach 2 while announcing it was not a metaphor. It was the entire message.
The Concorde seated around 100 passengers in its narrow cabin. Ellison’s guests would have crossed the sound barrier somewhere over the Atlantic, cruised at Mach 2 and 60,000 feet, been served Dom Pérignon and caviar on fine china, and been given a product briefing unlike any Oracle had ever staged. The whole event lasted two to three hours. By the time the aircraft turned back toward New York, the analysts had their story, the press had their angle, and Oracle 6 was officially the fastest database in the world, introduced on the fastest passenger aircraft ever to enter commercial service. The Concorde was retired in 2003. Oracle’s database business grew to dominate the enterprise software industry for the next three decades.
Before the G650, there was a Concorde charter
Ellison did not own the Concorde — he chartered it. But the event illustrates how consistently he has used aviation as a business instrument, not just a convenience. The San Jose lawsuit, the fighter jet collection, the Concorde launch: each is a version of the same instinct. Speed is a statement. The aircraft you arrive in, or launch a product from, communicates something about who you are and what you are selling.
Mock Dogfights Over the Pacific
Long before the G650 and the G-V, Ellison was flying an SIAI-Marchetti S.211, an Italian military trainer, over the Pacific Ocean and conducting mock dogfights with his son David. The S.211 is a full-aerobatic, turbofan-powered jet with a 40,000-foot service ceiling, not a toy aircraft by any measure. Ellison is a licensed pilot. The dogfights were, by all accounts, exactly what they sound like: a billionaire and his son flying military jets at each other for sport, somewhere over the California coast.
How Ellison’s G650 Compares to Other Tech Billionaires
The Gulfstream G650 is, by Silicon Valley standards, practically the default choice. Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, and Elon Musk have all operated G650s at various points. Ellison’s N817GS sits within that peer group, though his fleet profile is notably leaner than some. Bezos operates multiple aircraft across a larger team. Musk’s flight activity in 2022 was more than three times higher than Ellison’s by CO2 output. Zuckerberg has moved toward the newer G650ER for extended range. Ellison, with the original G650 acquired a decade ago, has simply not felt the need to change.
Where Ellison diverges from his peer group is in the breadth of his aviation interest. Gates collects art and works on climate. Bezos builds rockets. Ellison flies fighter jets, sues municipalities, and reportedly keeps a MiG-29 in a hangar. His G650 is the respectable face of an aviation portfolio that extends into territory most billionaires do not go near. The G650 is the commuter. The S.211 and the MiG are the hobby.
Ellison vs. the G700 and G800
Gulfstream introduced the G700 in 2024 and the G800 has been in development as an ultra-long-range follow-on. Both surpass the G650 in range, cabin size, and speed. Ellison has not publicly announced any plans to upgrade from N817GS. Given that the G650 can already reach any destination on his regular itinerary, an upgrade would be a marginal performance gain at best.
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About the Author
Tim is the owner and editor-in-chief of AeroCorner, where he has spent the last seven years overseeing aviation content covering aircraft, airlines, airports, and the broader aviation industry. Through years of researching, editing, and publishing aviation-focused content, he has developed extensive practical knowledge of commercial aviation and air travel. Based in Asia and a frequent traveler himself, Tim also brings firsthand passenger experience to AeroCorner’s coverage. Outside of publishing, he has also explored aviation firsthand through hands-on flight training in New Zealand.