David Ellison Chairman & CEO of Paramount Skydance
What Is the Net Worth of David Ellison?
David Ellison is a $500 million movie producer and former actor from the United States. The most well-known role of David Ellison is that of CEO and founder of sky dance Media, a production firm. In addition to many films in the “Mission: Impossible” trilogy, Ellison has acted as an executive producer on movies like “Jack reached” (2012), “Star Trek Into Darkness” (2013), “Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit” (2014), “Baywatch” (2017), and “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” (2023). Additionally, he has executive produced a number of television shows, such as “The Big Door Prize” (2023–2024), “Grace and Frankie” (2015–2018), “Jack Ryan” (2018–2023), and “reached” (2022–present). In 2022, David produced the popular film “Top Gun: Maverick,” for which he was nominated for an Academy Award. He introduced the LANAI Collection, a men’s clothing line, in 2014.
Profile Summary
- Full name: David Ferris Ellison
- Born: January 9, 1983
- Nationality: American
- Profession: Media executive, film producer, entrepreneur
- Current role: Chairman and CEO of Paramount sky dance Corporation
- Founder: sky dance Media (founded in 2010)
- Family background: Son of Larry Ellison, co-founder of Oracle Corporation.
Early Years
On January 9, 1983, David Ellison was born in Santa Clara County, California. He is the son of billionaire Larry Ellison and Barbara Booth Ellison. Larry is the chairman and co-founder of Oracle Corporation, a software corporation. His net worth surpassed $200 billion for the first time in 2025, making him one of the wealthiest persons on the planet.
David’s father is of Italian and Jewish descent. David was raised by his mother in wood side, California, following the divorce of his parents in 1986. Megan Ellison, his sister, started Annapurna Pictures and is a film producer as well.
Ellison attended the University of Southern California after high school, but he ultimately left to shoot his first film, the war drama “fly boys,” in 2005. David offered his idea for sky dance Media to Steve Jobs, a friend of his father who helped finance pillar Animation Studios. Ellison claimed in an interview with the “Sway” podcast that Jobs told him, “I want you to come back up here and talk about how you guys are going to aspire to make movies and tell stories better than anybody else because that’s what we did at pillar.” David claims that this “very much changed the trajectory of the company.”
Media sky dance
Three years after Ellison established sky dance Media in 2006, the business partnered with Paramount Pictures for five years to co-produce and fund movies. “True Grit” (2010), “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” (2011), “The Guilt Trip” (2012), “Jack reached” (2012), “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” (2013), “Star Trek Into Darkness” (2013), “World War Z” (2013), “Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit” (2014), “Star Trek Beyond” (2016), “Baywatch” (2017), “Annihilation” (2018), “Without Remorse” (2021), “Blush” (2021), and “Transform” (2021).
Tom Cruise had long opposed a “Top Gun” sequel, but it is said that David’s enthusiasm and creative approach won him over to “Maverick.” The fact that Tom received a very large backed cut of the movie’s profits, which eventually translated into a huge salary, surely didn’t hurt either.
Ellison and Spain’s i lion Animation Studios founded sky dance Animation in 2017, and sky dance Media partnered with ten cent Holdings Limited the following year.
Individual Life

On October 1, 2011, David wed Sandra Lynn medic, an actress and singer. Together, they have two kids. Ellison belongs to both the Producers Guild of America and the Television Academy. He has instrument ratings for commercial aviation, helicopter aviation, aerobatics, multi-engine aircraft, and fixed-wing aircraft, and he is a certified pilot. David, then 20 years old, was selected to compete with the “Stars of Tomorrow” aerobatic team at ea AirVenture Oshkosh in 2003.
Nominations and Awards
For “Top Gun: Maverick,” Ellison was nominated for multiple awards and won an i cg Publicists Award in the Motion Picture category. He was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Motion Picture of the Year, a pg a Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures, a Gold Derby Award for Motion Picture, a Chicago Indie Critics Award for Best Studio Film, and a Latino Entertainment Journalists Association Film Award for Best Picture.