In a story that has gone viral for its mix of wealth, culture, and sheer oversight, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison found himself in a bizarre PR scramble after discovering that the name of his new superyacht, *Izanami*, spelled out something horrifying when reflected in a mirror: “I’m a Nazi.”
The 81-year-old tech titan reportedly selected the name from Japanese mythology, honoring the Shinto goddess associated with creation and death. Blissfully unaware of the unfortunate backward spelling, Ellison only realized the unintended message after the vessel was christened. With family connections to Israel, the revelation reportedly sent the billionaire scrambling for paint thinner to rename the yacht.
The 58-meter German-built Lürssen yacht was promptly rechristened *Ronin*—a name far less controversial and far easier to market among the super-rich. Ellison later sold the vessel to Venezuelan banker Víctor Vargas before 2013, and it is now in the hands of Italian business executive Alessandro Del Bono.
Social media users were quick to pounce on the story, unleashing memes and comparisons to hit television series. “That is such a classic billionaire blunder that it almost feels scripted by Jesse Armstrong himself. The perfect intersection of high-end pretension and a total lack of basic proofreading,” one user quipped. Another noted, “This is straight out of *Succession*,” while a third joked, “Sounds like something from *Arrested Development*.”
Beyond the amusing name snafu, Ellison remains a serious player in global tech and finance. Co-founding Oracle in 1977 after leaving college, he briefly became the world’s richest individual in September, with a net worth hitting $393 billion—a staggering $101 billion surge. He continues to be Oracle’s largest individual shareholder, maintaining outsized influence over the company’s acquisitions and governance, though critics have accused him of wielding that control for personal gain.
Ellison’s influence extends beyond the corporate sphere. He has long courted controversy with his stances on privacy and surveillance. After the September 11 attacks, he supported a national identification database, drawing criticism from civil liberties advocates. More recently, his comments advocating AI-enabled surveillance to improve societal behavior have fueled fears of authoritarian overreach.
Politically, Ellison straddles the line between tech titan and conservative influencer. His support for select conservative causes and relationships with high-profile leaders have drawn both admiration and scrutiny. While critics argue that his immense wealth gives him disproportionate sway over public policy, supporters frame him as a champion of national security and technological leadership, willing to tackle complex problems in ways most Americans cannot.
For now, though, the story of *Izanami*—quickly renamed *Ronin*—serves as a reminder that even billionaires aren’t immune to embarrassing oversights. When your name is in the headlines for a yacht spelling faux pas rather than your business acumen, it’s clear that no amount of money can prevent a little human error from going viral.
