Larry Ellison, Oracle’s co-founder and chairman, briefly overtook Elon Musk to become the world’s richest person on September 10, 2025, after Oracle shares skyrocketed thanks to strong AI cloud growth and multi-billion-dollar contracts.
Oracle Stock Hits Record High
Oracle reported better-than-expected earnings, with massive demand for Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) driving investor confidence. The company confirmed new multi-year deals, including a landmark agreement with OpenAI, sending its stock up more than 40%.
Ellison, who owns roughly 41% of Oracle, saw his net worth jump to around $393 billion, surpassing Musk’s ~$384 billion. His fortune rose by nearly $90 billion in a single day, the largest one-day wealth gain in history.
AI Contracts Power Ellison’s Wealth
The main driver of Oracle’s rally was its position as a key provider of AI cloud infrastructure. Analysts say demand for compute power, low-latency fiber, and hyperscale data centers is pushing Oracle into direct competition with Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud.
Ellison has long championed Oracle’s AI strategy, investing heavily in partnerships and data center expansion. The OpenAI deal, along with rumored collaborations on next-generation projects like Stargate, has made Wall Street bullish on Oracle’s growth potential.
A Brief Moment at the Top
Although Ellison’s reign as the world’s richest person was short-lived—Oracle shares later cooled and Elon Musk reclaimed the top spot—the event signals a major shift in billionaire rankings. In today’s market, fortunes can swing by tens of billions in hours, reflecting the volatility of tech stocks and the explosive influence of AI.
Why This Matters
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AI Infrastructure Wealth: Oracle’s success highlights how fortunes are now built on cloud computing and AI contracts, not just consumer tech.
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Volatility of Billionaire Rankings: Ellison’s leap past Musk shows how quickly net worth can change based on stock performance.
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The Future of Oracle: If Oracle can sustain its momentum, it could permanently alter the competitive landscape of global cloud computing.
Conclusion
Larry Ellison’s brief rise to the top of the billionaire list is more than a personal milestone. It represents the growing financial power of AI infrastructure, the shifting dynamics of tech wealth, and the intense competition shaping the future of cloud computing.
