Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff built a $50 billion empire by following 7 lessons from his mentor-turned-nemesis Larry Ellison

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marc benioff

Robert Galbraith/Reuters

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Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff is now one of the most powerful leaders in Silicon Valley, but 30 years ago, he was a young, aspiring entrepreneur just starting off his career.

It was Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, now the world's fifth richest man, who took Benioff under his wing, and turned him into a star executive.

Although their relationship had its ups and downs through the years, Benioff wrote in his 2009 book, "Behind the Cloud," that Ellison is his "mentor" and "close friend."

He even dedicated a small section called "The Larry Ellison Playbook" where he lists the 7 lessons he's learned from Ellison.

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"Many of the lessons I learned from Larry still guide me today," he wrote.