When people hear the name Larry Ellison, they usually think of Oracle, Silicon Valley, enormous wealth, and one of the most recognizable figures in the technology industry. But decades before Ellison became a billionaire, he was a young computer programmer trying to find his direction in California.
During those early years, he was married to Adda Quinn.
Adda Quinn was Larry Ellison’s first wife, and their marriage lasted from 1967 to 1974. Their relationship ended long before Ellison founded the company that would become Oracle Corporation. While Quinn is often mentioned only briefly in biographies of Ellison, her own life tells a much broader story—one involving professional achievement, environmental research, family, travel, and a deliberate choice to stay away from the spotlight.
Who Was Adda Quinn?
Adda Quinn is an American woman best known publicly for her seven-year marriage to Larry Ellison. Unlike her former husband, she has maintained a remarkably private life, and reliable information about her early childhood, education, and family background is limited.
Public accounts indicate that Quinn was living in the San Francisco Bay Area when she met Ellison in 1967. The two reportedly met through a Berkeley employment agency. At the time, Ellison was only 23 and was still far from the success that would eventually make him one of the world’s most famous technology entrepreneurs.
They married that same year.
Adda Quinn and Larry Ellison’s Marriage
The couple’s marriage began during a very different chapter of Ellison’s life.
There was no Oracle fortune, luxury lifestyle, or Silicon Valley empire yet. Ellison was still developing his career and moving between technology-related jobs. According to published accounts, the young couple lived in a modest one-room apartment in Oakland for several years before eventually purchasing a small home.
Their marriage lasted seven years, from 1967 until their divorce in 1974. Importantly, the marriage ended several years before Ellison co-founded Software Development Laboratories in 1977, the company that later became Oracle.
That timing is significant. Quinn knew Ellison before the extraordinary wealth and fame that later defined his public image.
Some accounts describe financial pressure and differences in lifestyle as factors in the breakdown of their marriage. Stories about their relationship have also appeared in biographies and later profiles of Ellison. However, because much of the detail comes from secondary accounts rather than extensive public records from Quinn herself, those stories should be treated with appropriate caution.
Did Adda Quinn Have Children With Larry Ellison?
No. Publicly available accounts indicate that Adda Quinn and Larry Ellison did not have children together during their seven-year marriage.
Their divorce in 1974 marked the end of one chapter of Quinn’s life, but it was far from the end of her story.
In fact, some of the most interesting parts of her life came afterward.
Adda Quinn’s Career at EPRI
Following her divorce from Ellison, Quinn built a professional career that had little connection to technology or her former husband’s growing business ambitions.
She worked at the Electric Power Research Institute, commonly known as EPRI, in Palo Alto, California. EPRI is a major research organization focused on electricity, energy, technology, and environmental issues.
Quinn’s work there appears to have been substantial. Published accounts identify her as a Business Manager in EPRI’s Environmental Division, where she was reported to have managed approximately 45 PhD researchers and an annual budget of around $45 million.
Her later work included project management involving land and water quality. Archived government and EPRI-related documents also provide evidence of Quinn working as an EPRI project officer on environmental and remediation projects during the 1990s.
This part of her biography is particularly noteworthy because it shows a professional identity that existed completely apart from her relationship with Ellison.
A Career in Environmental Research
Quinn’s professional work placed her in an increasingly important area of research.
Accounts of her career describe involvement with subjects including climate research, ecology, land and water quality, environmental risk assessment, and contaminated-site management. Later documents identify her as a project manager working on environmental issues and remediation.
Rather than becoming known primarily as the former wife of a technology billionaire, Quinn developed a career connected to scientific research management.
That distinction matters when looking at her story today. Her life was not simply a footnote in Larry Ellison’s biography.
Adda Quinn’s Life After Larry Ellison
Quinn eventually remarried. Published accounts identify her second husband as George Sublett, whom she married in 1990. Sublett had two sons from a previous marriage, and Quinn became their stepmother.
The couple reportedly shared an active lifestyle and interests that included travel and outdoor activities. Quinn’s later life appears to have been centered more on family, professional accomplishments, and personal interests than on public recognition.
George Sublett died in 2010, according to published accounts.
Since then, Quinn has continued to maintain a low public profile. There is little verified information about her current day-to-day life, and she does not appear to have pursued the kind of public presence associated with her former husband.
What Is Adda Quinn’s Net Worth?
There is no reliable public figure for Adda Quinn’s net worth.
Unlike Larry Ellison, whose wealth can be estimated through his ownership interests and public financial reporting, Quinn has lived privately and has not publicly disclosed her finances.
It would therefore be misleading to attach a specific net-worth figure to her without credible documentation.
What can be established is that she developed her own professional career after her divorce and worked for decades in environmental research and project management.
Why Is Adda Quinn’s Story Still Interesting?
Adda Quinn’s story is compelling because it offers a glimpse into Larry Ellison’s life before Oracle.
She married him when he was a young man still trying to establish himself. Their relationship existed during a period of financial uncertainty and career experimentation, long before Ellison became one of the most powerful names in technology.
But Quinn’s story also deserves attention independently of Ellison.
Her career at EPRI, including documented environmental project work, demonstrates that her life after the marriage followed its own path.
In many ways, that may be the most interesting part of her biography. While Ellison’s career became increasingly public, Quinn chose a quieter route.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Adda Quinn?
Adda Quinn is an American woman best known as Larry Ellison’s first wife. She was married to the Oracle co-founder from 1967 to 1974 and later developed a career in environmental research management.
When did Adda Quinn marry Larry Ellison?
Adda Quinn married Larry Ellison in 1967. At the time, Ellison was a 23-year-old aspiring computer professional who had not yet founded Oracle.
When did Adda Quinn and Larry Ellison divorce?
Adda Quinn and Larry Ellison divorced in 1974 after seven years of marriage.
Did Adda Quinn and Larry Ellison have children?
No. Publicly available accounts indicate that they did not have children together during their marriage.
What did Adda Quinn do for a living?
Quinn worked at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) in Palo Alto. She held management and project roles connected to environmental research, land, and water quality.
What is Adda Quinn’s net worth?
Her exact net worth is not publicly known. Quinn has maintained a private life and has not publicly disclosed her finances.
Is Adda Quinn still alive?
There is no reliable public information indicating that Adda Quinn has died. However, details about her current life are extremely limited because she has maintained a private lifestyle.
Final Thoughts
Adda Quinn will always be connected to Larry Ellison because she was his first wife. They married in 1967 and divorced in 1974, years before Oracle became a global technology powerhouse.
Yet reducing Quinn to “Larry Ellison’s first wife” leaves out much of what makes her story worth telling.
She built a career in environmental research management, worked with scientists, took on major project responsibilities, created a second family life, and largely stayed away from the celebrity surrounding her former husband.
Her story is ultimately less about being married to a future billionaire and more about what happened after that chapter ended—a reminder that some of the most interesting lives are lived far from the spotlight.
