Oracle Co-Founder Larry Ellison Briefly Overtakes Elon Musk as World’s Richest Person on Stock Surge
— Larry Ellison briefly overtakes Elon Musk as the world’s richest person after Oracle’s stock surges on cloud and AI growth.
Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison has briefly claimed the top spot as the world’s richest individual, overtaking Elon Musk following a dramatic surge in Oracle’s share price. The ascent came in the wake of a strong earnings report and bullish forecasts for Oracle’s cloud infrastructure and AI businesses.
On September 10, 2025, the Bloomberg Billionaires Index and other wealth trackers showed Ellison’s net worth rising by roughly US$100–101 billion in a single day, pushing his estimated fortune to about US$393 billion, slightly ahead of Musk, whose net worth is estimated in the US$380–390 billion range. The surge ranks among the largest one-day gains ever recorded in billionaire rankings.
The boost in Ellison’s wealth stemmed largely from a nearly 40–43% jump in Oracle’s stock price during early trading following the company’s latest quarterly report. Key to investor enthusiasm were Oracle’s updated forecasts for its cloud and AI business, as well as an increase in “remaining performance obligations” (future contracted revenue) to US$455 billion, up from US$138 billion in the prior quarter.
For Musk, whose wealth is heavily tied to Tesla and other ventures, the shift reflects how wealth rankings among the ultra-rich can fluctuate rapidly in response to stock market movements and company performance. Musk’s net worth, while still near US$385 billion in many estimates, slipped due to Tesla’s relatively weaker performance and broader investor concerns over EV policy, demand, and regulatory challenges.
Though Ellison briefly held the No. 1 ranking, later trading saw some pullback in Oracle’s stock value, which narrowed the gap. At market close, Ellison’s valuation was down somewhat from its intraday highs but still firmly placed him among the top few wealthiest individuals globally.
Key Takeaways
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| New net worth (Ellison) | ~US$393 billion at peak |
| Previous net worth (Musk) | ~US$380–390 billion, varies per index |
| Trigger | Oracle’s stock surged ~40% after strong earnings & forecast |
| Core driver | Massive growth in AI/cloud deals and rising performance obligations |
| Duration | Ellison held the top spot briefly during intraday trading |
This episode highlights how volatile and sensitive wealth rankings are at the top end — shifts of tens of billions can happen in a single day with the right catalyst, particularly when large ownership of a major publicly traded company is involved.
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