Larry Ellison Briefly Surpasses Musk as World’s Richest Amid Oracle’s AI Cloud Boom

For a brief moment this week, Larry Ellison, the co-founder of Oracle, overtook Elon Musk to become the world’s richest man. His fortune soared to an unprecedented $393 billion (over ₹34,54,788 crore), outpacing Musk’s $385 billion (over ₹33,93,095 crore), according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The shift was triggered by a dramatic surge in Oracle’s stock price, which spiked more than 40 percent on the back of strong forecasts for its cloud business and a rush of artificial intelligence deals.

The celebration, however, was short-lived. By the end of trading, Oracle’s shares cooled, trimming Ellison’s gains and restoring Musk’s position at the top. Still, the fleeting switch was a striking reminder of how central AI and cloud infrastructure have become—not just to technology but also to personal fortunes.

Who is Larry Ellison?

At 81, Larry Ellison is no stranger to the tech elite. He co-founded Oracle in 1977, building the company into one of Silicon Valley’s most influential giants. Known in the 1990s as much for his bold personality as his business acumen, Ellison cultivated a reputation for flamboyant living, yachts, private islands, and outspoken views. He served as Oracle’s CEO until 2014 and remains actively engaged as chairman and chief technology officer.

Ellison’s latest rise in wealth underscores Oracle’s central role in the AI boom. The company recently projected that its cloud revenue will soar 77 percent this year, reaching $18 billion (over ₹1,58,637 crore). CEO Safra Catz revealed that Oracle had secured four multibillion-dollar contracts in the last quarter alone, with more expected in the months ahead. Demand from AI companies eager to tap Oracle’s data centers has fueled this investor optimism.

Politics, Power, and Hollywood

Ellison’s influence extends beyond technology. A close ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, he appeared earlier this year with OpenAI chief Sam Altman and SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son to launch “Stargate,” a project aimed at expanding America’s AI infrastructure. Trump, who returned to the White House in January, has even floated Ellison’s name as a potential buyer if TikTok is forced into a sale. “I’d like Larry to buy it, too,” Trump quipped when asked whether Musk might step in.

Beyond politics, Ellison has also made moves in the media world. He largely financed his son David’s $8 billion (over ₹70,505 crore) acquisition of Paramount through Skydance Media. That deal, which closed last month, cemented the Ellison family’s growing influence in Hollywood.

Musk’s Rocky Year

While Ellison enjoys momentum from the AI wave, Musk has faced headwinds. Tesla’s stock has stumbled amid investor concerns over Trump’s rollback of electric vehicle incentives and backlash against Musk’s political controversies. Despite this turbulence, Musk still eyes an extraordinary compensation package, potentially valued at more than $1 trillion (₹88,11,636 crore), provided he meets long-term performance targets.

Though Ellison’s reign as the richest person was fleeting, it symbolised a broader trend: fortunes in today’s economy are increasingly tied to the technologies shaping the future—chief among them, artificial intelligence and the cloud.