Oracle’s Larry Ellison Briefly Dethrones Elon Musk as World’s Richest Man
- Elon Musk briefly lost his title as the world's richest man to Larry Elisson on Wednesday, September 10, 2025
- The 81-year-old co-founder of Oracle, whose net worth surged to $393 billion on Wednesday, surpassing Musk’s $385 billion
- Ellison’s leap in wealth came after Oracle’s stock jumped more than 40%, driven by strong optimism
Pascal Oparada, a reporter for Legit.ng, has over ten years of experience covering technology, energy, stocks, investment, and the economy.
For a brief moment, Elon Musk was no longer the world’s richest man.
The title shifted to Larry Ellison, the 81-year-old co-founder of Oracle, whose net worth surged to $393 billion on Wednesday, surpassing Musk’s $385 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Source: Twitter
Oracle stock fuels a billion-dollar surge
Ellison’s leap in wealth came after Oracle’s stock jumped more than 40%, driven by strong optimism over its cloud infrastructure and artificial intelligence (AI) business.
The company reported a surge in demand for data centres, fueled by partnerships with AI firms eager to expand capacity.
Oracle said revenue from its cloud business is projected to rise 77% this year to $18 billion, a staggering growth trajectory. It also revealed that it had signed four multibillion-dollar contracts in the past quarter, with more expected soon.
However, by the close of trading, Oracle’s shares had cooled slightly, putting Musk back on top of the global wealth rankings.
Musk’s wealth faces pressure
Musk, who has held the top spot for nearly a year, remains vulnerable to fluctuations in Tesla’s stock. The electric vehicle maker has faced a rocky year amid investor concerns about the Trump administration’s rollback of electric vehicle incentives and consumer backlash tied to Musk’s political stances.
While Musk’s fortune could eventually skyrocket if he secures a proposed $1 trillion pay package from Tesla’s board over the next decade, his dominance is no longer unchallenged.
Ellison: From tech pioneer to power broker
Ellison co-founded Oracle in 1977 and grew it into one of the world’s largest software firms. Known for his lavish lifestyle and outspoken personality, he stepped down as CEO in 2014 but remains Oracle’s chairman and chief technology officer.
Now in his 80s, Ellison has cemented his influence not only in tech but also in politics and media.
A close ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, Ellison has appeared at high-profile events alongside figures like OpenAI’s Sam Altman and SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son.
Together, they announced Project Stargate, aimed at expanding U.S. AI infrastructure.
Media and TikTok ambitions
Oracle has also emerged as a potential buyer for TikTok, the Chinese-owned social media app facing a possible U.S. ban unless it cuts ties with parent company ByteDance.
Trump himself has expressed support, saying he’d prefer Ellison to own TikTok over Musk.
Beyond TikTok, Ellison has backed major media deals, including funding his son David’s $8 billion bid to acquire Paramount Global, owner of CBS and MTV.
The deal, completed last month through Skydance Media, underscores Ellison’s growing footprint in the media landscape.
Billionaire rankings in flux
While Ellison’s reign as the world’s richest man was brief, it highlights the volatility of billionaire fortunes in an era defined by AI, cloud computing, and political influence.
With both Ellison and Musk tied to transformative industries, the competition for the top spot is far from over.
Elon Musk to become world's first trillionaire
Legit.ng earlier reported that Tesla’s Board has laid out a $1 trillion compensation offer for Elon Musk, which he will get if he grows the electric car company’s market cap from $1.1 trillion to $8.5 trillion and achieves several other operational milestones.
The award would be given in tranches, and the last two quotas need a board-approved CEO succession plan.
According to a Reuters report, Tesla plans to grant Musk about 423.7 million performance-based restricted shares, representing 12% of the company’s current shares, split into 12 equal tranches.
Source: Legit.ng
