When Larry Ellison said: Bill Gates forgive me, there are a lot of people in the world smarter than you; but …

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is known from his business acumen. Oracle co-founder and world’s second richest man Larry Ellison also appreciates Gates’ business sense. Ellison once offered an interesting tribute to Bill Gates and praised his unmatched business drive, while candidly acknowledging that Gates may not be the smartest person in tech, but he is the most relentless. In a 2011 interview with TellTaleStory, Larry Ellison said, “Bill, forgive me, there are a lot of people in the world smarter than Bill Gates. There are very few people in the world that have his focus and endurance.”

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates compared to Rockefeller, not Edison

Speaking to TellTaleStory, Larry Ellison described Gates as ‘utterly relentless’ and ‘indefatigable’. Ellison added that he completely impressed with his unwavering stamina and ambition. He also went ahead and linked Gates with industrial titan John D. Rockefeller, saying, “If he were Edison, he’d be less dangerous. He is utterly relentless… he wants it all.”

The remarks by Oracle founder underscores Bill Gates reputation as a powerhouse. He regarded Gates as someone who may not have been the most brilliant scientist in the room, but he is the one who has the ability to execute and dominate.

A mother’s influence on Microsoft’s rise

Bill Gates’ mother Mary Gates played a very important role in securing Microsoft’s landmark deal with IBM in 1980. The agreement helped the company to launch into tech history. Earlier this year, Microsoft celebrated its 50th anniversary. On the occasion, Gates shared the original code which laid the foundation if Microsoft.

Larry Ellison’s own billion-dollar boom

Larry Ellison is also witnessing his own meteoric rise. This year Larry Ellison added nearly $100 billion to his net worth, surpassing tech titans like Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.