A decade-old yacht mishap has resurfaced online involving billionaire Larry Ellison, who was once forced to rename one of his luxury vessels after an awkward detail about its name came under the spotlight.
However, the name was called out when it was pointed out that the title, spelled backwards, reads as a vulgar antisemitic phrase.
Highlights
- Larry Ellison had to rename his 191-foot superyacht after realizing the Japanese name spelled a vulgar antisemitic phrase backward.
- The internet has compared it to scripted mishaps from shows like Succession and Arrested Development.
- The slip-up was particularly awkward given Ellison’s Jewish heritage and his significant financial and political support for Israel.
The blunder was first reported by Vulture and has since caught attention online with several users comparing the slip-up to a scene from the HBO show, Succession.
Larry Ellison once owned a 191-foot superyacht that was inspired by Japanese mythology
Image credits: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
The Oracle co-founder had originally named the 191-foot superyacht, Izanami, a reference to a goddess from Japanese Shinto mythology.
In Shinto tradition, Izanami is the goddess of creation and d*ath.
However, sailors later pointed out that the name when spelled backwards, reads as “I’m a Na*i.”
The realization was particularly jarring given Ellison’s background. The 81-year-old is Jewish and has long-standing personal and political ties to Israel.
Image credits: Kimberly White/Getty Images
Image credits: TatuadoToro
According to multiple reports, the billionaire quietly renamed the vessel as soon as the error was brought to his attention.
He subsequently changed the yacht’s name to “Ronin”, another Japanese term used to describe masterless Samurai, and eventually sold the boat to Venezuelan banker Victor Vargas sometime before 2013.
The internet compared the debacle to scenes in TV shows like Succession and Arrested Development
Image credits: Marco Secchi/Getty Images
As the naming error dates back years, its reemergence has caught attention across social media platforms.
Many online users described it as the kind of mistake that feels fictional because of how avoidable it was.
“The sort of error that happens when no one around you is willing to double-check anything,” one wrote.
Image credits: tyler_econ
Several compared it to moments from shows centered on wealthy families, including Succession and Arrested Development.
“That is such a classic billionaire blunder that it almost feels scripted by Jesse Armstrong,” one user wrote, referencing Succession’s creator.
Image credits: HBO
“It’s the perfect intersection of extreme wealth and a total lack of basic proofreading,” another added.
Others echoed the sentiment, with one comment reading, “This is straight out of Succession,” while one more quipped, “This sounds like something out of Arrested Development.”
The awkward mistake was amplified by Larry Ellison’s public ties to Israel
Image credits: HBO
Image credits: RobPasbani
The gaffe drew even more heat because of Ellison’s visible support of Israel over the years.
In 2017, he made headlines for donating $16.6 million at a gala hosted by Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, a United States-based nonprofit organization, reportedly the largest single donation at the event.
Image credits: matthw_doyle
Image credits: Nathan Howard/Getty Images
Furthermore, he has maintained a close relationship with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was photographed vacationing with his family in 2021 on Ellison-owned property in Hawaii.
At the time, Netanyahu was on trial for fraud, bribery, and breach of trust in three separate cases. He was accused of accepting lavish gifts in exchange of political favors and trading regulatory benefits for more positive media coverage of his and his family.
Ellison was reportedly a witness in those cases.
The yacht mishap resurfaced following renewed attention on the Ellison family
Image credits: historyinmemes
Image credits: DanielGalef
The story has gained new traction as the Ellisons’ family returns to the spotlight, largely due to recent shakeups in Hollywood’s power structure.
In August 2025, Larry’s son, David Ellison, became CEO and chairman of Paramount Skydance following the merger of Skydance Media with Paramount.
The attention on the family intensified after Warner Bros. Discovery’s $83 billion Netflix deal sparked shareholder backlash and a rival bid from Paramount Skydance.
Image credits: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
David challenged the board, filing a lawsuit to force financial transparency and proposing a $30-per-share cash offer on January 12.
As Paramount threatened a board takeover and asset breakup, the situation escalated with people calling them “greedy.”
"This family is probably Hollywood's worst villain right now. You thought the other greedy CEOs were awful? Well, the Ellisons just gave them a run for their money,” wrote one user.
"He didn't know that before naming the yacht Izanami?" questioned one user
Image credits: doranmaul
Image credits: herbertyang
Image credits: sarah_cone
Image credits: themiddlerage42
Image credits: notpea3
Image credits: boggledmine
Image credits: sagecutter
Image credits: cosmoksmom
Image credits: Flandan
Image credits: duru_tobe
Image credits: notseelen
Image credits: drchrisisfree
Image credits: HvicF
Image credits: Songydang
Image credits: SheikhWeight