Ellison estate under construction, May 2000 Peninsula school districts will have less to spend on their evil government entitlement programs thanks to "Uncle Larry" Ellison. Lawyer William Bennett successfully lobbied San Mateo County officials on Ellison's behalf to slash the property tax assessment of the Oracle founder's sixteen-acre Woodside estate. Bennett argued that because the grounds have been styled after a village in Imperial Japan, they're worth much less than the $173 million assessed. Officials agreed that the property is unbelievably tacky, and lowered the assessment to $70 million. Ellison will receive a $3 million refund on previously levied taxes — costing school districts county-wide $1.4 million.

For those of you who can't understand why a man worth a reported $26 billion would bicker and argue over a few million in property taxes, Fake Steve Jobs explains that it's a matter of principle:

[T]he thing about being obscenely rich is that everyone around you is constantly taking advantage of you and trying to chisel you at every turn. The gardeners, the maids, the Bentley mechanic, the jet mechanic, the house manager — they're constantly skinning you, and you get pretty damn sick of it.

It all goes to show that money can't buy good taste. Maybe especially in Ellison's case. (Photo by Getty/David McNew)

8:40 AM on Thu Mar 27 2008
By Jackson West
1,481 views
8 comments

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babyjesus at 09:44 AM on 03/27/08
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Rock on Larry, stick it to The Man!

-mike
FiveStarEggRoll at 10:03 AM on 03/27/08
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You mean kids?

Harry "keeps his babys' mommas in jewels" Wang
SFcitizen at 10:31 AM on 03/27/08
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Fellow billionaire Mike Dell in Texas might feel the same way

[austinzoning.typepad.com]
Filament at 11:15 AM on 03/27/08
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This is genius. I'm going to call the auto salvage yard and get two or three $200 junkers for my lawn. The property tax savings should pay for them in the first year, and after that it's pure profit.
Slartey at 11:57 AM on 03/27/08
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If I was Larry's neighbor, I'd be hitting him with a lawsuit for devaluing the 'hood with his creation of a Mutant Ninja theme park. Clearly taking a page from Wacko Jacko and his Never Never Land concoction. Just goes to show that having ridiculous amounts of money only leads to the amplification of an individual's idiosyncracies - much to the merriment of those of us who didn't luck out in the dotcom boom and so forth.
Fidel on the Roof at 12:40 PM on 03/27/08
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I have no sympathy for Ellison. The only reason why I think this is ok is because the County is incompetent and often gives raises to already overpaid employees. Secretaries making $100k+??? WTF!?
DonV at 02:07 PM on 03/27/08
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@Filament: Brilliant!
matto at 05:02 PM on 03/27/08
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Connectedness Index: 186
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Has the San Mateo county provided $173 million in services to Larry? $70 million? Have they even provided close to $1m?

Fuck the bay area fifedoms and their property taxes.