Jury Finds for Oracle Chief Ellison in Flap Over $10-Million Yacht Deal

A California jury ruled against a Florida yacht broker who claimed that Oracle Corp. President Larry Ellison, who is worth an estimated $50 billion and vies for the title of richest man in the world, owed him about $700,000 in sales commission for a 192-foot cruiser Ellison bought in 1996. “The jury found 12 to nothing in favor of all of the defendants on all of the claims,” Ellison’s attorney Mark Fowler said after the verdict in Redwood City, Calif. He declined to comment further. The jury also dismissed claims by broker Michael Rafferty against the selling broker, who was paid about $500,000 as part of the $10-million 1996 deal. Rafferty, who contended that Ellison had made a contract with him before buying the gleaming, German-built five-deck yacht, told reporters he regretted the jury’s decision and still believed he had a case. Ellison’s lawyers had argued that the Oracle chief was an innocent bystander in a complicated deal negotiated by friends and underlings, and should not be held responsible for rivalries that drive sellers of big-ticket boats.