Larry Ellison Donates $200 Million For Cancer Research at Star-Studded Gala

Larry Ellison Donates $200 Million For Cancer Research at Star-Studded Gala
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Larry Ellison, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sandy Ellison, David Ellison, Nikita Kahn

Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California was transformed into an elegant party for the third biennial Rebels With a Cause Gala honoring Haim and Cheryl Saban and supporting cancer research for USC.

The event, catered by celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck, was attended by Julianne Hough, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Lorna Luft, and Jerry Bruckheimer in a crowd of 500 attendees.

Funnyman James Cordon hosted the event and told the audience, "I hate cancer so much, I wish cancer would get cancer."

Live performances included Leona Lewis who sang "Fire Under My Feet," Kristin Chenoweth, who sang "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," and Christina Aguillera who performed two songs, "Beautiful" and "Fighter."

The highlight of the evening was the generous donation from Oracle founder Larry Ellison, who donated $200 million to establish the Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine of USC. Ellison spoke about his 30-year friendship with Steve Jobs and how the Apple founder was given extra years of life because of the generous research done in the field of cancer.

Ellison thanked Dr. David Agus, Director of the USC Norris Westside Cancer Center for the work he has done to save and extend lives of those suffering from cancer.

Photo credit: Alex Berliner/ABImages

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