Megan Ellison

Megan Ellison was born in Santa Clara County, California in 1986. Her father, Larry Ellison, cofounded the Oracle software corporation in 1977. He is currently the fifth richest man in America.

Ellison attended the University of Southern California film school for one year before dropping out in 2005 to pursue low-budget film production for several years.

In 2011, on her 25th birthday, Ellison received a check from her father Larry for "what a source says was $200 million, with similar sums soon to come," though some have speculated that it was closer to $2 billion. In the same year, Ellison used the money from her father to establish Annapurna Pictures, an independent film production, distribution, and financing company.

Annapurna released its first film, "Lawless," in 2012. The Jessica Chastain and Tom Hardy-led crime drama grossed $53 million against its $26 million budget, which Ellison financed entirely out of pocket.

In 2014, Ellison became the first woman and the fourth person to receive two best picture Academy Award nominations in the same year, which she received for her work on Her and American Hustle. In June 2014, Ellison optioned the screen rights for the memoir A House in the Sky, which tells the story of Amanda Lindhout and her capture by Somali rebels during 2011.

Also in 2014, Ellison was included as part of the Advocate's annual "40 Under 40" list.