Why Larry Ellison Changed the Name of His Superyacht

Bahar O.

Larry Ellison, the billionaire co-founder of Oracle, once had to change the name of his superyacht because of a surprising and embarrassing mistake.Years later, the story resurfaced on social media.

According to a report first published by News.com.au and cited by the New York Post, Larry Ellison, the billionaire co-founder of Oracle, once had to change the name of his superyacht because of a surprising and embarrassing mistake.

Ellison had originally named his German-built yacht Izanami, after a goddess from Japanese mythology. At first, the name seemed elegant and meaningful.

But later, a sharp-eyed observer noticed something unusual. When the name Izanami was read backward, it spelled the phrase “I’m a Nazi.” Neither Ellison nor his team had noticed this at the beginning.

After someone pointed it out, Ellison was reportedly shocked and immediately ordered the name removed. The yacht was quickly renamed Ronin which is now owned by Italian executive Alessandro Del Bono.

Years later, the story resurfaced on social media. Many people compared it to the TV shows Succession and Arrested Development. They said the incident felt like a scene from these shows because both series often show extremely rich families making careless and awkward mistakes while fighting for power and status.

Ellison later sold the yacht, but the strange name change remains one of the most unusual stories in the world of billionaires and superyachts.

Today, Ellison’s current superyacht again draws from Japanese culture: Musashi, an 88-meter luxury yacht crafted by Feadship in 2010.