Billionaire forced to rename yacht after making horrific realisation about its name—a decades-old story involving Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison is resurfacing and shocking readers anew.
The tech titan, now 81, once owned a 191-foot German-built superyacht he proudly named Izanami. At the time, the name appeared to be a refined nod to Japanese mythology. Years later, however, Ellison was confronted with an unexpected and deeply troubling discovery that forced him to act quickly.
The Meaning Behind “Izanami”
Ellison chose the name in 1999, inspired by Izanami-no-Mikoto, a Shinto deity associated with creation and life. In Japanese legend, Izanami—alongside Izanagi—is said to have given birth to the islands of Japan.
On the surface, the name carried cultural depth and poetic symbolism. But a linguistic coincidence soon overshadowed its intended meaning.
The Backwards Reading That Changed Everything
The problem emerged when observers noticed that “Izanami,” spelled backwards, reads “I’m a Nazi.”
Once the issue was highlighted in local media, the name became impossible to ignore.
Ellison later explained that he faced a stark choice: either publicly explain Shinto theology to reporters or rename the yacht entirely. He chose the latter.
A Swift Rename and Quiet Sale
The yacht was promptly renamed Ronin, a term often associated with masterless samurai. Not long after, Ellison sold the vessel. According to reports, it is now owned by Italian business executive Alessandro Del Bono.
What was once a symbol of celebration following Ellison’s immense success had turned into an unintended public relations headache.
Why the Story Is Resurfacing Now
The incident has re-entered public conversation following a recent profile by New York Magazine focusing on Ellison’s son, David Ellison, now chair and CEO of Paramount-Skydance Corporation.
The feature revisited lesser-known moments from Larry Ellison’s past, including the yacht episode, bringing renewed attention to the bizarre naming mishap.
Ellison on Wealth, Parenthood, and Perspective
Beyond the yacht story, Ellison has spoken openly about how fatherhood reshaped his outlook on life and relationships. In the biography Softwar, he reflected on raising children amid extreme wealth and the importance of early exposure to responsibility.
He also credited becoming a father with making him more emotionally aware and considerate—changes he says extended into both his personal and professional life.
A Billionaire Lesson in Unintended Consequences
Today, Larry Ellison ranks among the world’s wealthiest individuals, sitting just below Elon Musk on Forbes’ real-time billionaire list. Yet even at that level of power and influence, the yacht naming incident serves as a reminder that perception, context, and language matter—sometimes in the most unexpected ways.
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