Safra Catz Net Worth

What is Safra Catz's Net Worth and Salary?

Safra Catz is an Israeli-American billionaire banker and technology executive currently serving as the CEO of Oracle Corporation. As of now, her net worth is estimated at $2 billion. She joined Oracle in 1999 and quickly ascended through the ranks. She became co-president in 2004 and took over as the sole CEO in 2019 following the resignation of Mark Hurd. Catz has been actively involved in various political campaigns, including those of Marco Rubio and Donald Trump.

Oracle Shares and Salary

According to Oracle's latest SEC filings, Safra Catz directly owns nearly 9 million shares of the company, alongside millions of options tied to performance milestones. Her net worth first crossed into the billionaire range in 2015 due to this combination of shares and options.

As Oracle's CEO, Catz's annual base salary is $950,000. Her compensation is significantly higher when bonuses and share grants are considered. For instance, in 2021, her total compensation stood at $10 million. In 2022, due to a one-time $130 million option grant, she earned $138 million. In 2023, her earnings were a bit over $5 million.

Early Life and Education

Born on December 1, 1961, in Holon, Israel, Safra Catz is of Jewish Romanian descent. Her family moved to Brookline, Massachusetts, when she was six. Catz graduated from Brookline High School and later attended the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, earning her bachelor's degree in 1983. She subsequently earned her JD from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1986.

Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette

Catz began her career in the financial sector as an investment banker at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette. She climbed the ranks to become a senior vice president by 1994 and was promoted to managing director in 1997, a role she held until 1999.

(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Oracle Corporation

In 1999, Safra Catz joined Oracle Corporation as senior vice president. By 2001, she was a member of its board of directors and became co-president in 2004. Catz played a crucial role in Oracle’s $10.3 billion acquisition of PeopleSoft in 2005. She also served as Oracle's temporary CFO that same year.

Over the years, Catz has been recognized as one of the most powerful women in business by Forbes and Fortune. In 2010, she was joined by Mark Hurd as co-president. Just three years later, she was reportedly the highest-paid woman among Fortune 1000 companies. By 2017, she became the highest-paid female CEO in the U.S.

In 2019, with Mark Hurd stepping down due to health issues, Catz became the sole CEO of Oracle. Under her leadership, Oracle shifted its global headquarters to Austin, Texas, in 2020. The company also made strategic acquisitions, including Cerner in late 2021 and Federos in 2022. However, Oracle faced a class-action lawsuit in 2022 over alleged surveillance activities. In 2023, Oracle announced a $1.5 billion investment in Saudi Arabia's technology sector, including a data center in Riyadh.

Other Business Activities

Beyond Oracle, Catz is part of the executive council of TechNet and served as a director at HSBC from 2008 to 2015. In 2017, she joined the board of directors of the Walt Disney Company. Additionally, she is a lecturer in accounting at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. In 2021, Catz made headlines for her stock trading activities, converting derivatives into 2.25 million shares and selling them at nearly double the acquisition price.

Political Involvement

A Republican, Catz has contributed to the presidential campaigns of Marco Rubio and Donald Trump. In 2016, she was invited to discuss a potential role in Trump’s administration. By 2018, she had donated over $150,000 to various Republican groups and candidates and contributed $125,000 to Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign. Despite Trump's loss, Catz was appointed to the Homeland Security Advisory Council in 2022 under President Joe Biden.