Larry Ellison Surpasses Elon Musk as World’s Richest Person After Oracle’s AI-Driven Surge
On September 10, 2025, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison reclaimed the title of the world’s richest individual, overtaking Tesla CEO Elon Musk in the Bloomberg Billionaires Index for the first time since 2023. Ellison’s net worth ballooned to $393 billion, fueled by a record-breaking $101 billion single-day gain from Oracle’s stock rally, while Musk’s fortune dipped to $385 billion amid Tesla’s volatility. This shift highlights the intensifying AI boom’s impact on tech fortunes, with Oracle emerging as a key player in data infrastructure.
The Catalyst: Oracle’s Explosive Earnings Report
The dramatic change stemmed from Oracle’s fiscal Q1 2026 earnings release on September 9, 2025, which exceeded Wall Street expectations and ignited a 25% stock surge—the largest in the company’s history. Oracle reported $15.3 billion in revenue, a 12% year-over-year increase, driven by surging demand for its cloud services and AI-optimized data centers. Key highlights included:
- AI Infrastructure Boom: Partnerships with hyperscalers like Microsoft and Google for AI workloads propelled Oracle’s cloud revenue up 45% to $5.6 billion. CEO Safra Catz emphasized Oracle’s role in powering “next-gen AI models,” with bookings for AI-related capacity doubling to $10 billion.
- Historical Single-Day Gain: Ellison’s stake in Oracle (approximately 42%) translated to the $101 billion windfall, marking the biggest one-day wealth increase ever tracked by Bloomberg. This propelled him past Musk, who had held the top spot since June 2024.
Ellison, 80, founded Oracle in 1977 and stepped down as CEO in 2014 but remains executive chairman and CTO. His vision for database technology has positioned Oracle at the forefront of the AI revolution, contrasting with Musk’s diversified empire spanning electric vehicles, space travel, and social media.
Musk’s Slip: Tesla Challenges and Broader Market Pressures
Elon Musk, 54, saw his wealth erode by about $8 billion in the same period, primarily due to a 3% dip in Tesla shares amid softening EV demand in China and Europe, regulatory scrutiny over autonomous driving tech, and broader market jitters from U.S. interest rate concerns. Despite this, Musk’s portfolio—Tesla (13% stake), SpaceX (42%), xAI, and X (formerly Twitter)—remains formidable at $385 billion, securing him second place.
This isn’t the first time the duo has swapped spots; Ellison briefly topped the list in 2023 during Oracle’s cloud pivot, only for Musk to surge ahead with Tesla’s AI and robotaxi hype. Analysts note the rankings fluctuate daily based on closing stock prices, but Ellison’s lead reflects AI’s outsized influence on legacy software giants.
Broader Context and Reactions
The Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which tracks 500 of the world’s wealthiest, updates daily and calculates fortunes using market data and private asset estimates. Third place went to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos at $212 billion, followed by Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg at $198 billion. The top 10 is dominated by U.S. tech moguls, underscoring Silicon Valley’s grip on global wealth.
On X (formerly Twitter), the news trended under #LarryEllison and #RichestPerson, with users reacting in awe: “Larry Ellison dethrones Elon Musk to become the richest man on earth 🤯” from @MunichGolden, and crypto enthusiasts noting, “Larry Ellison becomes world’s richest with $393B, overtaking Elon Musk’s $385B after Oracle’s $101B surge.” Some speculated on rivalries, with one post quipping, “Larry Ellison, Elon Musk’s tech rival just overtook him.” Musk himself has not commented, focusing instead on Tesla’s upcoming robotaxi event.
This milestone for Ellison, who owns 98% of the Hawaiian island of Lanai and is known for his yacht racing and philanthropy, signals a potential shift in billionaire dynamics as AI investments reshape fortunes. With Oracle’s stock still climbing in after-hours trading, the race at the top remains fluid.