World's 4th richest man uses this interview question to hire the best worker—and it's an easy one

Experienced leaders are often quick to gauge the best candidates in interviews. One of the most important qualities they look for is extraordinary intelligence as they believe these employees would inspire them to also be their best selves. Such is the case with Larry Ellison, the former CEO and co-founder of Oracle and the fourth richest man in the world. In 'The Difference Between God and Larry Ellison,' written by Mike Wilson, Roger Bamford, a former Oracle engineer, revealed how he was instructed to ask a simple yes-or-no question to job applicants.

The question was: "Are you the smartest person you know?" If the candidate responded with a 'yes,' they were hired. If they said 'no,' the follow-up question was: "Who is?" The company reportedly would then try to hire that person instead, as reported by Unilad. Ellison dubbed a 'super boss' had valid reasoning behind the madness—he was confident in his ability to accept workers who might surpass him rather than surround himself with average workers out of fear of being overshadowed. It is hence interesting to note that between 1994 and 2004, 9 of the 11 executives who worked closely with Ellison went on to become CEOs, chairs, or COOs of other companies.

In 2014, Miguel Helft reflected on his experience of sitting with Ellison for an interview. As reported by Fortune, Helft stated, "I was ushered into Larry Ellison’s office. He was sitting at a desk in front of a large window that overlooked the Bay. He was casual and easygoing, and for the next 15 minutes, we talked about this and that. What did I learn in school? What did I want to do? Which of the many positions we had discussed was most interesting to me? Then he stood up, and that was it." Helft shared that, at the time, he had never imagined that Ellison would eventually become one of the most renowned, vibrant, and controversial CEOs.

Back then, Ellison was just a young entrepreneur in his early forties with little to show in terms of net worth. Fast forward to the present, and Ellison today is the fourth richest person in the world. He co-founded Oracle in 1977 and although he resigned as CEO in 2014, he still serves as the executive chairman and chief technology officer of the organization. As reported by The Street, his estimated net worth as of January 2025 was a whopping $210 billion. 

Ellison was raised in a middle-class family in Chicago after being adopted by his aunt and uncle, who relocated to Illinois. He was an incredibly hardworking student with a passion for computers. He enrolled himself at the University of Illinois but dropped out when his adoptive mother passed away.