Oracle co-founder and tech magnate Larry Ellison has overtaken Tesla boss Elon Musk to claim the title of the world’s richest man, according to the latest Bloomberg Billionaires Index released on Wednesday, September 11, 2025.
Ellison’s net worth surged by a staggering $101 billion in a single day after Oracle, the software giant he co-founded in 1977, announced quarterly earnings that exceeded Wall Street’s expectations.
The company’s strong performance in cloud computing and infrastructure services sent its shares soaring by 41 per cent, lifting Ellison’s fortune to $393 billion.
This leap places the 81-year-old entrepreneur ahead of Musk, whose wealth now stands at $385 billion.
The development ends Musk’s nearly year-long reign at the top of the global wealth rankings.
Bloomberg reported that Ellison’s $101bn gain represents the biggest one-day jump ever recorded on its Billionaires Index, underscoring the magnitude of Oracle’s growth trajectory and investor confidence in the company’s long-term strategy.
Oracle, traditionally known for its enterprise software, has aggressively expanded into cloud services and artificial intelligence-driven infrastructure.
Analysts note that this pivot has positioned the company as a direct competitor to tech giants such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud.
Already, Oracle’s shares have risen more than 45 per cent since the start of 2025, with the latest earnings announcement serving as a major catalyst.
Ellison, who still serves as Oracle’s chairman and chief technology officer, holds the majority of his wealth in company stock.
Elon Musk, who has alternated the top spot with Jeff Bezos of Amazon and Bernard Arnault of luxury conglomerate LVMH in recent years, had reclaimed the No. 1 position last year and maintained it for about 300 days.
However, Tesla’s stock has dipped 13 per cent this year, weighing heavily on Musk’s fortune.
Despite his losses, Musk remains firmly within the top three billionaires globally, thanks to his stakes in Tesla, SpaceX, and other ventures.
Notably, Tesla’s board has proposed an ambitious pay package for Musk, one that analysts suggest could make him the world’s first trillionaire if he meets a set of performance milestones.
Larry Ellison, born in New York in 1944 and raised in Chicago, co-founded Oracle nearly five decades ago and transformed it into one of the world’s leading software companies.
His aggressive business strategies, high-profile acquisitions, and early bets on database technology earned him a reputation as one of Silicon Valley’s boldest visionaries.
Beyond business, Ellison is known for his lavish lifestyle.
He owns luxury estates in Malibu and Hawaii, a fleet of yachts, and has invested heavily in aviation.
His philanthropic work, including donations to medical research and education, has also gained attention, although he has been less visible in philanthropy compared to peers like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett.
With this latest milestone, Ellison becomes not just a symbol of technological innovation but also an enduring force in global finance at a time when many of his contemporaries have stepped back from active leadership.
Financial analysts argue that Ellison’s rise reflects the increasing dominance of cloud computing in the global economy.
Businesses and governments worldwide are shifting operations to cloud platforms, fueling massive valuations for companies that provide infrastructure and security at scale.
Oracle’s success highlights how older tech companies, once considered lagging behind newer players, can reinvent themselves through strategic innovation and acquisitions.
For investors, Ellison’s record-breaking fortune serves as a signal of confidence in Oracle’s ability to compete in the next wave of digital transformation.
Meanwhile, Musk’s dip underscores the volatility of the electric vehicle sector, which faces rising competition, regulatory hurdles, and slowing global demand.
The billionaire rankings have been highly dynamic in recent years:
Jeff Bezos of Amazon and Bernard Arnault of LVMH previously held the crown.
Bill Gates, once a perennial frontrunner, has slipped to 14th place on some lists due to major philanthropic giving and Microsoft stock shifts.
Rising fortunes in AI, biotech, and renewable energy are reshaping the global wealth map.
The Ellison-Musk rivalry underscores how fortunes can swing dramatically based on corporate earnings, market conditions, and investor sentiment.
Larry Ellison’s unprecedented leap to the top of the billionaire rankings cements his place in the history of global wealth.
While Elon Musk remains one of the most influential figures in technology and business, this shift underscores the resilience and adaptability of Ellison, whose company has thrived well into its fifth decade.
As Oracle continues to expand its cloud empire and Tesla navigates a turbulent market, the race for the world’s richest title will remain one of the most closely watched contests in global finance.
For now, Ellison wears the crown — a reminder that in business, longevity and reinvention can sometimes outpace disruption.