Larry Ellison's Citation lands in Santa Monica the night of Paramount's Warner Bros. bid deadline

Larry Ellison's Cessna Citation CJ4, N417C, was tracked departing Santa Monica Municipal Airport at 12:04 AM UTC on July 1, 2026, and returning to the same airport 1 hour and 6 minutes later, reaching a max altitude of 41,525 feet. The brief flight—essentially a local hop—is unusual for an aircraft that typically crosses continents, but the timing is telling.

If aboard, Larry Ellison would have been in Santa Monica the same evening Paramount faces a Monday deadline to submit a final proposal for a hostile takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, as reported by Celebplanes on May 20. The bid, backed by Ellison's $40 billion personal guarantee, pits the Ellisons against Netflix and has drawn in the Trump administration. Van Nuys, a frequent Ellison destination, is just 20 miles north of Santa Monica, placing the Oracle co-founder within striking distance of Hollywood's corporate suites.

The flight follows a pattern: Ellison's aircraft has made multiple trips to the Los Angeles area in recent weeks, including a June 15 hop from Van Nuys to Burbank. With 50 of 71 trackable 2025 flights starting or ending in Florida, this West Coast sortie suggests business, not leisure—and with a $40 billion deal on the line, the stakes are high.