All competitive arrows aside, this is one unfrickin real story about Ellison not honoring a commitment he made to fund a research institute and endow 5 professorships. I hope the coverage of this story shames him into writing the check. Classic Ellison, when it’s for some shiny new toy not a problem, but when it’s for research well he’ll just have to think about that for a good long time. What would interest be on $115 million for a year, maybe that should be added to his tab at Harvard? Ellison is quite a study in contrast to Bill Gates.

BTW, you can bet that in every university and NGO deal we are competing with Oracle in this is going to come up… that’s a commitment I can definitely make and keep.

Oracle’s Ellison Stalls Harvard – Forbes.com:

Larry Ellison, the billionaire CEO of software giant Oracle, has yet to follow through on an assurance he made a year ago to donate $115 million to Harvard University.

“To date, a gift agreement has not been signed,” says Sarah Friedell, director of media relations for Harvard’s Office of Alumni Affairs and Development.

Indeed, the dean of Harvard’s School of Public Health, Barry R. Bloom, says he is “hopeful but pessimistic” that Ellison will make good on his $115 million pledge.

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