Safra Catz
Presided over Oracle's acquisition of 150 companies in a decade, consolidating its dominance in enterprise software through relentless consolidation.
Born 1961 (age 65)·Israeli-American business executive·Birthday: December 1·Baby Boomers
Biography
Safra Catz executed Oracle's acquisition of PeopleSoft for $10.3 billion in 2005, a hostile takeover that reshaped the software industry. She joined Oracle's board in 2001. Larry Ellison appointed her and Mark Hurd as co-CEOs in 2014; she became sole CEO in 2023. Catz oversaw the $9.3 billion purchase of NetSuite in 2016 and the $28.3 billion acquisition of Cerner in 2022. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School in 1983 and Harvard Law School in 1986. Catz worked at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette for nine years before joining Oracle. She served on the board of directors for HSBC Holdings from 2008 to 2015. Forbes listed her among the World's 100 Most Powerful Women for fifteen consecutive years. Catz maintained Oracle's gross margin above 80% for a decade. Her strategy transformed Oracle from a database company into a cloud applications and infrastructure provider. The company's market capitalization increased fivefold during her tenure as president and CEO.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Safra was born in 1961, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Safra Was Born
The biggest hits of 1961
#1 Movie
101 Dalmatians
Best Picture
West Side Story
#1 TV Show
Wagon Train
Safra's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1961Born
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1966Started school
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1974Became a teenager
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Could drive
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1979Could vote
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Turned 21
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1991Turned 30
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 40
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 50
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 60
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 65 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Led Oracle's integration of over 150 acquisitions as President and CEO.
- One of the highest-paid female executives in the world, with compensation packages exceeding $40 million annually.
- Served on the Executive Committee of the World Economic Forum's International Business Council.
Did You Know?
She is a licensed pilot and flies herself to business meetings.
Catz named her son after the Hebrew word for 'lion'.
She begins each day by reviewing Oracle's global sales data from the previous 24 hours.
“If you don't know your numbers, you don't know your business.”
