The BNP Paribas Open is on track to set a new attendance record, but owner Larry Ellison has even bigger plans for the fifth- largest tennis tournament in the world. Boosting visibility The first year Ellison was owner of the BNP Paribas Open, he helped put together the Hit for Haiti charity event that featured former tennis greats Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi playing with current greats Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.