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| World richest man Larry Ellison |
Larry Ellison’s Rise to the Top: How Oracle’s AI Push Made Him Richer Than Elon Musk
On September 10, 2025, Larry Ellison, the 81-year-old co-founder, executive chairman and CTO of Oracle, briefly became the world’s richest person, overtaking Elon Musk. The shift was driven by a dramatic surge in Oracle’s shares, fueled by accelerating demand for AI infrastructure and major cloud contracts.
Key Numbers & What Changed
Ellison’s net worth jumped to around $393 billion, compared to Musk’s ≈ $385 billion as estimated by various indexes.
Oracle announced a backlog of future contracts, often called “remaining performance obligations” (RPO), valued at about $455 billion, significantly up from previous quarters. This gave investors confidence about its long-term cloud infrastructure business.
Intra-day, Oracle’s stock soared by about 35-43%, before closing a bit lower, allowing Ellison his temporary claim to the top.
What Drove the Surge
1. AI Demand & Cloud Infrastructure
Oracle has increasingly become one of the backbone providers for AI data centers and cloud services. Deals with major AI players have boosted its forecasted revenues and solidified its position in the growing AI economy.
2. Strong Earnings Report & Upward Forecasts
The earnings release included revised guidance, which surprised analysts, and made public contracts that will deliver revenue over time. This kind of forward-looking data (like RPO) matters a lot to investors betting on long-term growth.
3. Volatility in Musk’s Holdings
Elon Musk’s wealth is heavily tied to Tesla and its stock. In contrast, Oracle benefited more in this period, while Tesla's stock had been facing headwinds. That helped narrow the gap and let Ellison overtake—at least temporarily.
Implications & What to Watch
Rich Rankings Are Fluid: The top spot is clearly volatile. Ellison’s lead was brief; by market close, Musk reclaimed the title in some indexes. But the episode shows how shifts in tech sentiment—especially around AI—can lead to massive wealth swings.
Oracle’s Role in the AI Economy: As competition in AI heats up (cloud, compute, infrastructure), companies like Oracle that provide foundational services are becoming extremely valuable. Observers will be watching how Oracle executes on its pipeline and whether it can sustain growth at this scale.
Investor Sentiment Matters: Stock market reactions to earnings and forecasts are driving large moves. Oracle’s skyrocket was in large part due to investor confidence in its contracts and its future in AI cloud business.
Conclusion
Larry Ellison overtaking Elon Musk, even if briefly, is more than a headline—it’s a signal of how the tech industry’s wealth dynamics are shifting. Infrastructure and AI are increasingly central, and Oracle’s performance shows that these foundational pieces can sometimes outrank flashy consumer tech or high-visibility ventures. For those watching market movements, Ellison’s surge underscores that the next big play may be the one behind the scenes, powering AI and cloud more than the products we all see.
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