Yesterday, September 10, Larry Ellison, the 81-year-old co-founder of Oracle, briefly took over Elon Musk’s spot as the richest man in the world.
I was almost certain that no one could reach the amount of wealth Elon Musk has, as he has been topping global rich lists for years now. But thanks to a huge surge in Oracle’s stock, Larry Ellison did reach and surpass it. Basically, his 41 per cent stake in the company jumped over 40 per cent. In simple terms, his net worth went from $101 billion to $393 billion, surpassing Musk’s $384 billion net worth.
Okay, but who exactly is Larry Ellison?
Larry Ellison is 81 years old
He founded Oracle in 1977 when he was 32 years old
He made his first $1 billion in 1992 at 47
Today he’s worth $400B after making $100B in a single day
You’re not too old pic.twitter.com/NJCJpwIxb4
— vittorio (@IterIntellectus) September 10, 2025
Born in New York in 1944, Ellison co-founded Oracle in the 1970s. Oracle makes database software and cloud computing systems. More recently, Oracle has been cashing in on the AI boom, with clients such as OpenAI, Meta, Nvidia, and even Musk’s xAI. Basically, computers helping AI run robots, design drugs, and manage finance.
According to The Guardian, Ellison was CEO of Oracle for 37 years before stepping down to chief technology officer in 2014. He still heads the board and owns over 40 per cent of the company, so when Oracle stock rockets, so does his fortune. The company even moved its HQ from Silicon Valley to Austin, Texas in 2020.
Also, amongst other things, he owns almost the entire Hawaii island of Lanai, where he built a luxury resort and hydroponic farm. He also owns shares in Tesla, a sailing team, and the Indian Wells Open tennis tournament.
Ellison’s son, David Ellison, runs Paramount Skydance, which owns CBS, MTV, Paramount Pictures, and more. The Ellisons are basically a tech-media-powerhouse family.
So, how did he suddenly become the richest man in the world?
Oracle had a blockbuster earnings report, landing $300 billion in new deals, including AI contracts. Investors went wild. Ellison’s fortune jumped in less than half an hour. Meanwhile, Tesla sales were shaky.
But by the end of the trading day, Musk was back on top as the richest man.
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