Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison briefly claimed the title of the world's richest person on 10th September 2025, momentarily surpassing Tesla and SpaceX visionary Elon Musk. This unprecedented shift was fuelled by an astonishing single-day surge in Oracle's share price, driven by its powerful position in the booming AI and cloud computing sectors.
The Perfect Storm: Oracle's Earnings and AI Boom
The catalyst for Ellison's meteoric rise was Oracle's blockbuster quarterly earnings report. The tech giant not only exceeded analysts' expectations but also delivered an incredibly optimistic forecast for its cloud business, particularly highlighting its integral role in the rapidly expanding artificial intelligence landscape. Oracle's projections of substantial future growth in its cloud services left investors completely gobsmacked.
A Historic Stock Rally
This electrifying news ignited a massive stock rally, with Oracle shares soaring by an incredible 41% in a single day. This wasn't just a good day; it was the largest single-day increase in the company's storied history, demonstrating the market's overwhelming confidence in Oracle's future trajectory.
Ellison's Fortune Skyrockets
As the co-founder and a major shareholder, 81-year-old Larry Ellison owns approximately 41% of Oracle's outstanding shares. The monumental stock surge translated directly into an unprecedented personal gain for Ellison, adding over £80 billion to his net worth in a matter of hours.
The Moment Musk Was Dethroned
This colossal leap in Ellison's wealth pushed his estimated net worth to an astounding $293 billion, momentarily catapulting him past Elon Musk, who had held the coveted title of the world's richest person for much of the preceding year. Musk's fortune, while still immense, had seen recent fluctuations tied to various challenges faced by Tesla.
A Brief, Yet Memorable, Reign
While Larry Ellison's reign at the very top was brief—Oracle's stock experienced a slight pullback by the close of the trading day, which ultimately restored Elon Musk to the number one spot—the event itself was nothing short of historic. It served as a powerful testament to the dynamic nature of global wealth and the ever-increasing influence of cloud computing and artificial intelligence in shaping the fortunes of the world's most powerful individuals.
Meet Beautiful Woman
The incident underscores a crucial point: in the race for technological supremacy, the titans of industry can see their fortunes shift dramatically and swiftly. It also highlights how intertwined personal wealth is with the performance of innovative companies at the forefront of the digital revolution.