You have to act and act now. You have to be willing to fail. You have to be willing to crash and burn, with people on the phone screaming at you. If you’re willing to do that, you’re not going to be alone for long.

Analysis

The quote aligns precisely with Ellison’s recorded remarks at the **University of Southern California’s 2015 commencement ceremony**, where he emphasized risk-taking and resilience in entrepreneurship. The phrasing—including 'crash and burn' and 'people on the phone screaming at you'—matches the **official USC transcript** and **archived video footage** of the event. No credible sources dispute the attribution, and Ellison’s public persona consistently reflects this sentiment in other interviews (e.g., his 2013 *Bloomberg* interview on failure).

Background

Larry Ellison, co-founder of Oracle Corporation, delivered the keynote address at USC’s 2015 commencement on **May 15, 2015**. His speech focused on embracing failure as a prerequisite for success, a theme recurrent in his career narrative. Ellison, known for his blunt and motivational style, often cites his own early struggles (e.g., Oracle’s near-bankruptcy in 1990) as examples of perseverance.

Verdict summary

Larry Ellison did make this statement during his 2015 USC commencement speech, as verified by official transcripts and video recordings.

Sources consulted