What is Megan Ellison's Net Worth?
Megan Ellison is an American film producer who has a net worth of $400 million. Megan's father, billionaire Larry Ellison, famously gave her $200 million as a 25th birthday present. He has continued to give her similarly-large gifts at various milestones.
Megan Ellison is known for founding the production and distribution company Annapurna Pictures, which is backed by her billionaire father. Through the company, she has produced such acclaimed films as "Zero Dark Thirty," "Her," "American Hustle," and "Phantom Thread," all of which garnered her Academy Award nominations for Best Picture. Ellison and Annapurna are also involved in the production and distribution of television, video games, and theater, including the Tony Award-winning shows "The Lehman Trilogy" and "A Strange Loop."
Early Life and Education
Megan Ellison was born as Margaret Ellison on January 31, 1986 in Santa Clara County, California to Barbara and Larry. Her father Larry Ellison is the billionaire co-founder and chairman of the Oracle Corporation, one of the largest software corporations in the world. She has a brother named David Ellison who became a film producer and founded the production company Skydance Media. As a youth, Ellison went to Sacred Heart Preparatory, graduating in 2004. She went on to study film at the University of Southern California for a year, and then traveled the world.
Career Beginnings
Ellison began working in the film industry in 2005, earning her first credit as a boom operator on her brother's short film "When All Else Fails." After that, she began financing low-budget films, including "Waking Madison," "Main Street," and "Passion Play." In 2010, Ellison reached a whole new level of success when she served as an executive producer on the Coen brothers' "True Grit," which was a substantial critical and commercial hit.
Annapurna Pictures
After the success of "True Grit," Ellison founded her own production and distribution company, Annapurna Pictures, in 2011. She named the company after the eponymous Himalayan mountain trek where she hiked during her world travels in 2006. Ellison's goal with the company, which is backed by her father, is to invest in original, audacious films by major auteurs. Among the early films produced or co-produced by Annapurna were John Hillcoat's "Lawless," Paul Thomas Anderson's "The Master," Andrew Dominik's "Killing Them Softly," and Kathryn Bigelow's "Zero Dark Thirty." For the lattermost film, Ellison earned her first Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. She garnered two more nominations the following year for Spike Jonze's "Her" and David O. Russell's "American Hustle," making her the first woman ever to received two Best Picture nominations in the same year. Annapurna went on to produce or co-produce such titles as "Foxcatcher," "Joy," "Everybody Wants Some!!," "20th Century Women," and "Phantom Thread," another Best Picture Academy Award nominee. Among the company's myriad other notable films are "If Beale Street Could Talk," "Vice," "Missing Link," "Booksmart," "She Said," and "Nightbitch."
Since its founding, Annapurna Pictures has expanded to include a number of divisions spanning many mediums. In 2016, the company established Annapurna Interactive, which develops, produces, and distributes video games, the first of which was "What Remains of Edith Finch." Also in 2016, the company launched Annapurna Television, which has since produced such series as "Pam & Tommy," "The Staircase," "I Love That for You," and "Dead Ringers." The following year, Annapurna began distributing films, starting with Kathryn Bigelow's "Detroit." In late 2022, the company launched Annapurna Animation, led by former Blue Sky Studios executives Andrew Millstein and Robert Baird. The division kicked off production with the fantasy adventure "Nimona," based on the graphic novel of the same name. Annapurna also has a theater division that has produced such shows as "Nine Night," "Home I'm Darling," "American Utopia," "The Lehman Trilogy," and "A Strange Loop," the lattermost of which won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2022.
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Business Approach
Because her family wealth largely protects her from financial risks, Ellison takes a business approach to production that prioritizes ambition and artistic vision over investments with high returns. She tends to work with acclaimed auteurs who are committed to realizing their creative goals, not capitulating to the commercial demands of studios or focus groups. Additionally, Ellison is often present on set during filming to make sure everything runs according to plan and that the appropriate resources are available for the filmmakers' to fulfill their visions.
Personal Life
Ellison is openly lesbian. She owns many motorcycles, and has competed in equestrian competitions since she was a teenager.
Real Estate
Over the years Megan has flipped a number of very impressive properties. Some examples include:
In 2013 Megan paid $20 million for a mountaintop compound in the Mount Olympus neighborhood of Los Angeles. She subsequently paid $10 million for two adjacent undeveloped properties to bring her footprint to a bit more than 8 acres. In September 2017 she sold the estate for $35.7 million.
In April 2016 she bought a home in Beverly Hills for $13.5 million. She tried to make a quick profit flipping the house just a few months later, but ultimately accepted a $2 million loss on this deal.
In 2017 Megan paid $6.895 million for a mid-century home in Beverly Hills. After a major restoration she sold this home in December 2021 for $11.2 million.
In 2018 she paid $7.75 million for a home in Los Feliz, Los Angeles. She sold this home in 2020 for $8.3 million.
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