Larry Ellison Becomes the World’s Richest Man: How the Oracle Founder Surpassed Elon Musk in 2025
- Sarah Whitfield
- Sep 9
- 4 min read
By TodayBeat Newsroom | September 2025
Breaking: A New Billionaire at the Top
The global billionaire leaderboard has a new king. Larry Ellison, the 81-year-old co-founder of Oracle, has overtaken Elon Musk to become the world’s richest man.
Ellison’s net worth soared to nearly $395 billion, thanks to a record-breaking surge in Oracle’s stock price, powered by booming demand for artificial intelligence and cloud infrastructure. Musk, who dominated headlines as the richest person in the world for years, now sits in second place with an estimated $383 billion fortune.
It’s a stunning reversal in the world of wealth — and one that’s dominating Google searches for “Larry Ellison net worth,” “who is the richest person in the world,” and “world’s richest man 2025.”
The Rise of Oracle and the AI Boom to richest man in the world
Ellison’s climb isn’t an accident. It’s the result of Oracle’s transformation from a legacy database company into an AI powerhouse.
Oracle’s cloud infrastructure now supports governments, Fortune 500 companies, and AI startups across the globe.
Multi-billion-dollar contracts with artificial intelligence leaders sent the company’s valuation soaring.
In just one quarter, Oracle added more than $100 billion in market value, boosting Ellison’s personal wealth at a speed that stunned Wall Street.
Once dismissed as “old tech,” Oracle is now at the very heart of the AI gold rush — and Ellison is reaping the rewards.
Who Is Larry Ellison?
For many, Ellison’s name may not carry the same cultural weight as Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos. But his story is every bit as dramatic.
Early Life: Born in New York in 1944, raised by adoptive parents in Chicago, Ellison dropped out of college twice.
Founding Oracle: In 1977, he and two colleagues started a company with $2,000 in seed money. They named it Oracle, inspired by a CIA project.
Success: Oracle’s relational database technology revolutionized how businesses stored and managed data.
Personality: Known for his sharp wit, ruthless competitiveness, and larger-than-life lifestyle.
At 81 years old, Ellison is proof that persistence, reinvention, and timing can still catapult someone to the very top — even in an industry dominated by much younger names.
The Billionaire Rivalry: Ellison vs. Musk
The world loves a rivalry, and 2025 has delivered one of the biggest: Larry Ellison vs Elon Musk.
Musk’s Vision: Space travel, electric cars, brain-computer interfaces, and a dream of colonizing Mars.
Ellison’s Bet: AI, cloud computing, and data infrastructure — the digital foundation for the future.
Musk’s net worth remains astronomical at $383 billion, but volatile Tesla stock and his divisive public persona have weighed on his fortune. Ellison’s Oracle, by contrast, is riding an unstoppable wave of AI demand.
The result? For now, the richest person in the world is Larry Ellison.
The Richest People in the World 2025
Here’s the current top five:
Larry Ellison – $395B (Oracle, AI cloud infrastructure)
Elon Musk – $383B (Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, xAI, X)
Mark Zuckerberg – $216B (Meta / AI & Metaverse)
Jeff Bezos – $215B (Amazon, Blue Origin)
Bernard Arnault – $178B (LVMH / Luxury Goods)
The richest people in the world are reshuffling faster than ever — and for the first time, Ellison sits at the very top.
Inside Larry Ellison’s Billionaire Lifestyle
Ellison isn’t just wealthy on paper. He’s famous for living like a character from a billionaire’s novel.
Island Owner: He bought 98% of the Hawaiian island of Lanai in 2012.
Mansions: Estates in Malibu, San Francisco, and Woodside, California.
Yachts & Jets: An avid sailor, Ellison won the America’s Cup in 2010. He also pilots his own aircraft, including military jets.
Cars & Collectibles: Known for his love of speed and luxury.
Now, as the world’s richest man, every detail of his life — from homes to hobbies — is capturing global attention.
Why This Story Went Viral
Ellison’s rise has gripped headlines not just because of money, but because of the symbolism:
The Irony: In 2008, Ellison mocked cloud computing as “gibberish.” Today, cloud and AI made him the richest man alive.
The Age Factor: At 81, he beat rivals decades younger, proving the power of reinvention.
The Surprise: Few expected Oracle to outshine Tesla, Meta, or Amazon in 2025.
Google searches for “who is the richest person in the world” and “Larry Ellison net worth 2025” have spiked globally, cementing the story as one of the biggest business headlines of the year.
FAQs About Larry Ellison and the Richest People in the World
Who is the richest person in the world right now?
Larry Ellison, Oracle’s co-founder, with a net worth of about $395 billion.
What is Larry Ellison’s net worth in 2025?
His wealth is estimated at $395 billion, driven by Oracle’s AI and cloud success.
What is Elon Musk’s net worth in 2025?
Musk’s fortune stands at roughly $383 billion, keeping him in second place.
Who are the top 5 richest people in the world?
Larry Ellison, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, and Bernard Arnault.
How did Larry Ellison get so rich?
By founding Oracle in 1977 and reinventing it into a global leader in AI cloud infrastructure, Ellison positioned himself at the center of the AI boom.
Could Elon Musk reclaim the title?
Yes. If Tesla rebounds or Musk’s trillion-dollar pay package materializes, he could once again be the richest person in the world.
Final Word
The billionaire crown is never permanent. But today, the name at the top is Larry Ellison — the world’s richest man, the visionary behind Oracle, and the ultimate example of how persistence and reinvention can rewrite history.
From Chicago dropout to Silicon Valley legend, Ellison’s story proves that the race to be the richest person in the world is as much about timing and vision as it is about money.
And in 2025, Larry Ellison is the one wearing the crown.
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