Introduction
For years, the battle for the title of the world’s richest person has swung between tech titans like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Bernard Arnault. Now, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison has claimed the crown for the first time, overtaking Musk after a record-breaking surge in Oracle stock.
Ellison’s net worth jumped by an astonishing $101 billion in a single day, lifting him to about $393 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Musk, weighed down by a slump in Tesla shares, slipped to second place with roughly $385 billion. This dramatic shift not only highlights the volatility at the very top of global wealth rankings but also underlines how the AI-driven cloud boom is rewriting fortunes.
The Oracle Stock Rally That Changed Everything
The driving force behind Ellison’s leap past Musk was Oracle stock, which soared more than 40 percent in a single trading session. The rally followed Oracle’s quarterly earnings report, which revealed a flood of new demand for its cloud services, particularly from AI firms.
CEO Safra Catz announced four multibillion-dollar contracts in the first quarter alone, raising Oracle’s bookings backlog to $455 billion, more than quadruple the figure from a year earlier. The company also issued an ambitious forecast, predicting its cloud business revenue would climb from $18 billion this year to $144 billion by 2030.
These numbers electrified Wall Street and instantly transformed Oracle’s image from a legacy database company into a serious contender in the AI cloud race.
By the Numbers: Ellison vs Musk
- Larry Ellison
- Holds around 1.16 billion shares of Oracle.
- Net worth jumped from about $294 billion to over $405 billion following the stock rally.
- Elon Musk
- Net worth recently stood at about $384 billion.
- His wealth has been tied heavily to Tesla’s stock, which has faced challenges from slowing EV sales and market uncertainty.
The gap between Ellison and Musk widened sharply as Oracle stock continued to climb, proving that a single strong earnings report can tilt the balance of global wealth rankings.
Why Musk Slipped Behind
While Ellison’s wealth surged, Musk’s fortune took a hit. Tesla’s stock has been under pressure, falling more than 25 percent since December. The company has struggled with slowing demand, political controversies surrounding Musk, and investor uncertainty about its long-term strategy.
Although Musk still controls about 16 percent of Tesla, valued at nearly $187 billion, the drop in the automaker’s share price was enough to cost him the top spot. SpaceX remains a key part of Musk’s fortune, but it has not yet compensated for Tesla’s decline.
Ellison’s Rise to Number One
Larry Ellison, now 81, co-founded Oracle in 1977 and built it into one of the world’s most valuable software companies. His 41 percent stake, about 1.16 billion shares, makes him uniquely leveraged to Oracle’s success.
This stock rally propelled him past Musk for the first time, making him the world’s richest individual. The scale of the increase was historic. A $101 billion single-day jump is the largest ever recorded by Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index.
Ellison’s wealth has always been tied to Oracle, but the AI revolution has supercharged his fortune. Oracle’s contracts with AI heavyweights, including OpenAI, are positioning it at the heart of one of the most transformative technology shifts of this generation.
Oracle’s Role in the AI Cloud Race
The global cloud market is still dominated by Amazon, Microsoft, and Google. Together, they hold about 65 percent of the market share. Oracle has traditionally played a smaller role, but AI has changed the landscape.
AI workloads require enormous computing capacity, and Oracle’s infrastructure is attracting a wave of new clients. Reports suggest OpenAI has signed a $300 billion contract for Oracle computing power over five years, one of the largest cloud deals ever. Oracle is also linked to the Stargate project, a massive AI infrastructure venture expected to channel around $500 billion in spending.
These opportunities are turning Oracle into an unexpected front-runner in the AI boom.
What This Means for Investors
For investors, Oracle stock has been one of the best performers in the market. Shares are up more than 490 percent over the last five years and have doubled in just the past year. In 2025, Oracle has outperformed even many of the Magnificent Seven tech giants.
This sudden transformation demonstrates how quickly fortunes can change in technology. What was once seen as a legacy enterprise software company is now being revalued as a growth leader in AI infrastructure.
Recommended Reading
- “The Everything Store“ by Brad Stone – The rise of Amazon and Jeff Bezos, a useful comparison to Oracle’s journey.
- “AI Superpowers“ by Kai-Fu Lee – A look at the global AI race that is driving today’s market shifts.
- “The Innovators“ by Walter Isaacson – Stories of visionaries who created the tech industry.
- “Measure What Matters” by John Doerr – On setting ambitious goals, a theme central to both Ellison and Musk’s companies.
FAQs
Q1: How much is Larry Ellison worth now?
A: Larry Ellison’s net worth is about $393 billion, making him the richest person in the world according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Q2: How much is Elon Musk worth now?
A: Elon Musk’s net worth is around $385 billion, largely tied to Tesla and SpaceX.
Q3: Why did Oracle’s stock rise so quickly?
A: Oracle stock jumped more than 40 percent after the company reported strong quarterly results, secured multibillion-dollar AI contracts, and gave an aggressive revenue forecast through 2030.
Q4: Is this the first time Larry Ellison became the richest person?
A: Yes. Despite decades as one of the world’s wealthiest people, this is the first time Ellison has claimed the top spot.
Q5: Could Musk retake the number one spot?
A: Yes. Musk’s wealth is highly tied to Tesla stock and SpaceX’s valuation. If Tesla rebounds or Musk’s new compensation package is approved, he could surpass Ellison again.
Conclusion
The story of Larry Ellison surpassing Elon Musk is about more than personal wealth. It marks a turning point in the global tech industry. Oracle stock’s explosive rise shows how the AI boom is reshaping not just corporate valuations but also the very rankings of the world’s wealthiest people.
For Ellison, it is a career-defining moment, decades after founding Oracle in a small office in 1977. For Musk, it is a reminder that even the world’s most valuable entrepreneurs are vulnerable to market shifts. As AI drives the next wave of tech growth, the competition among these titans is far from over.
Leave a Reply