US tech billionaire Larry Ellison has bought an office building in London’s West End from a fugitive Hong Kong tycoon for £162m.
Mr Ellison, who co-founded software giant Oracle and is a close associate of Sir Tony Blair, has bought 11-12 St James’s Square from Chinese Estates, a company linked to Joseph Lau, a fugitive Hong Kong tycoon, and his family.
The seven-storey building was acquired through Mr Ellison’s family office, the Lawrence J. Ellison Revocable Trust, according to public filings.
The purchase comes as Mr Ellison, 80, opens a $1bn research institute in Oxford to “help solve the world’s great problems”. It plans to invest in innovative new products such as advanced batteries and fund research into fighting superbugs.
The Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT) will be led by scientist Sir John Bell and is backed by former prime minister Sir Tony, who has had a decades-long friendship with Mr Ellison.
Sir John, who is known for his pivotal role in the Covid vaccine rollout, told The Telegraph that the St James’s Square office block will be a base for EIT in London.
A billion on the head office, eh? Was it Parkinson – C Northcote – who suggested that a new HQ was a sign to short sell the organisation?
Particularly with an atrium, a fountain and an HR power skirt on the board…
Oracle had better marketing and more aggressive salesmen than the competition. This seems to be in keeping with their ethos.
It took them 8 versions before their product became a vaguely usable database. I would not put too much faith in this ‘problem solving’ venture.
Larry clearly doesn’t have good judgement if he associates with Blair.
If he associates with Bliar he could be even more dangerous than Silli Mili…
’…a $1bn research institute in Oxford to “help solve the world’s great problems”. It plans to invest in innovative new products such as advanced batteries and fund research into fighting superbugs.’
Our ‘great problems’ are battery and superbug-related? Not so sure, myself.
Yes – one of CNP’s many laws was to the effect that a swanky office and an appearance of calm were a sign that the busines was moribund.
We’re only going back to what was served pre 70s. From chatGPTm
“ The average strength of beer in England in the 1960s was lower than today, with most beers ranging between 3% and 4% ABV (alcohol by volume). Mild ales, which were popular at the time, typically had a strength of around 3% ABV, while bitters were slightly stronger, often closer to 4% ABV.
Stronger beers, such as stouts and premium ales, were available but less common, with ABVs around 5% or higher. Over time, beer strength increased due to changing consumer tastes and brewing trends.”
Which is why Haigh’s claim about drinking 12 pints or so across a whole day isn’t as ludicrous as it sounds.
Beer was weaker back then to allow for drinking at lunchtime then back to work. If the power skirts in HR ban a tipple at lunch, there is no reason for weak beer.
Otto: “I would not put too much faith in this ‘problem solving’ venture.”
We all know it isn’t there to “solve problems” , other than to ensure a spat of “Wealth Redistribution” before Taxes.
Who’s on the Board of Trustees? Who’ll be in the C-Suite? Who’ll be in the renumerated Committees and Workgroups deciding “general thrust of development” and “grant applications”?
So in a sense it does solve a problem… Just not the one that’s on the tin…
Why does Ellison choose to associate himself with mass-murdering criminals?
“Sir John is confident the Oxford site will be home to a new generation of fast-growing companies, though he admits there are challenges ahead.”
What planet is this bloke on? Oxford is about the worst place to start a company, unless you’re doing something medical, and even then, you want to be over by Headington.
It’s a university attached to a load of old stuff that tourists like with a massive greenbelt around it. Which means it’s really expensive for rent and somewhat dysfunctional. All the fusion and biotech companies that come out from the university are down in the Didcot and Harwell area. Because there’s a load of big business parks, it’s well connected by road and rail and it’s cheap.