Larry Ellison invested $ 500 million in a high-tech greenhouse project on his private island of Lāna’i in order to revolutionize food production with sustainable cultivation. But the project failed due to various challenges and technical problems. Instead of a global solution, only the cultivation of vegetables for Hawaii remained.
Who is Larry Ellison? Larry Ellison is known as the co -founder of Oracle, one of the largest software companies in the world. According to the Forbes list, he is also one of the richest people in the world. He is currently fifth in the billionaires (as of February 26, 2025).
That was Ellison’s vision: According to the Wall Street Journal, the billionaire invested hundreds of million dollars in a state -of -the -art agricultural project in Lāna’i, a Hawaiian island, which he bought in 2012 for $ 200 million. But Ellison is not only interested in technology and politics, but also in sustainable agriculture. His goal: to use the island not only as a private domicile, but as a laboratory for high-tech food production. The project should become a potential solution for the global food crisis.
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The agricultural project between innovation and reality
With the founding of Sensei Farms, Larry Ellison wanted to prove that modern technology and vertical agriculture can revolutionize food production. With an investment of $ 500 million, high-tech greenhouses with artificial intelligence, sensors and renewable energies were created. In addition, the Oracle founder planned to operate these systems with renewable energies in order to create a fully sustainable model.
What problems did the project have? The implementation of the project on Lāna’i met with unexpected challenges. Strong winds repeatedly damaged the $ 12 million greenhouse roofs, which caused $ 50 million in repairs. Even the solar panels, which Elon Musk made available, did not withstand the weather conditions. Instead of sustainable energy, diesel generators had to step in.
In addition, there were a lack of internet connections that made it difficult to operate the numerous sensors, as well as exhausted soils from previous pineapple plantations. Despite the latest technology, the result remained modest: only salad and cherry tomatoes were produced, far from the original idea of feeding the world. Ultimately, the project failed due to the challenges.
The future of Sensei AG
What’s next? After the failure, Sensei AG adapts his strategy. The company is now focusing on the development of software solutions for farms. The experiences from the Lāna’i project flow into new approaches to automation. Among other things, in robot-supported cultivation systems in California.
What happens to the island? The agricultural operation on the island was shut down, but was not completely discontinued. The salads and cherry tomatoes produced are still sold to other Hawaiian islands, albeit to a much smaller scale than originally planned. It is still open whether Ellison sticks to Lāna’i in the long term or has new plans for the island.
The attempt to change agriculture with technology shows how innovations bring both challenges and solutions. But technological progress can also prove its benefit in other areas. As the first country in the world, China is completely building a highway with AI, drones and robots.