Tom Siebel

That was July 1993. Last summer, Siebel Systems moved from East Palo Alto to a five-story office building in San Mateo. The most prominent landmark outside the windows of Siebel headquarters is the cylindrical office complex housing. . .Oracle.

"Why would he want to put me out of business?" Siebel asks. His dark blue eyes radiate intensity. His face is lined prematurely. "We don't really compete. I can't see that we'll ever be a threat."

But there are ways to compete with his former mentor, to be a threat, without going head-on. Being a success, in markets of his choosing, in a style that's right for him, conjures a certain business esthetic that Siebel knows has captured Ellison's attention.

"In the early days of Oracle, we were just about making money," Siebel says. "Here we are in the process of building a great place to work. We want to be known for our high-energy, vibrant people, and I want to be known for giving them the tools to excel professionally."

Still, money is never far from the surface. Great wealth creates great responsibilities. The tensions in Siebel's life -- the grip his work holds over everything else -- have not lessened. If anything, they are greater now. It's his company, his success, his wealth to lose.

"I've been put in a position I've never dreamed of," he says. "I've got to conduct myself accordingly. There's pressure. But we don't walk around here saying, 'We're going to be rich.' This is my idea of a good time. I visit with customers. They're using products with my name on them. I want to be doing this when I'm 65. I want the very same job."

"Tom Siebel"

"Mike Seashols"

"Kathryn Gould"

"Jay Verkler"

"Oracle Intermission"