Larry Ellison Surpasses Elon Musk as the World’s Richest Person
In a financial twist that has stunned Silicon Valley and Wall Street alike, Larry Ellison, co-founder of Oracle and long-time tech titan, has overtaken Elon Musk to become the world’s richest man.
According to the latest Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Ellison’s net worth has surged past $280 billion, edging out Musk, whose fortune has been whittled down to around $247 billion amid market volatility surrounding Tesla and SpaceX.
Oracle’s Rise and Strategic Bets
Ellison’s fortune, long tied to the growth of Oracle, has exploded in recent years thanks to the company’s aggressive push into cloud computing and artificial intelligence infrastructure. While rivals like Amazon and Microsoft dominated the early cloud race, Oracle’s late-stage pivot to AI-optimized databases and cloud platforms has paid off enormously, with record contracts from governments, healthcare systems, and Fortune 500 firms.
In addition, Ellison’s early stakes in Tesla and other tech giants have multiplied in value, further propelling his wealth beyond Musk’s.
From Playboy Billionaire to Business Titan
At 80 years old, Ellison is one of the oldest members of the billionaire elite — yet his influence has never been stronger. Known for his flamboyant lifestyle of yachts, private islands, and bold bets, Ellison has often been underestimated compared to flashier figures like Musk or Jeff Bezos.
But his quiet persistence and focus on enterprise technology have turned him into not just a survivor, but the ultimate victor in the billionaire wealth race.
Musk Reacts
Elon Musk, who has spent years at the top of the world’s wealth rankings, shrugged off the development in a post on X, writing:
“Congrats, Larry. Not bad for a database guy 😉”
Analysts, however, warn that Musk’s fortune is more volatile, tied heavily to Tesla stock swings and SpaceX valuations, while Ellison’s wealth is backed by Oracle’s steady global dominance.
What It Means
Ellison’s rise marks a generational shift: a reminder that the “old guard” of Silicon Valley is still very much alive and shaping the future. With AI, cloud computing, and enterprise tech at the heart of global transformation, Ellison’s Oracle has cemented itself as an indispensable backbone of the digital age.
For the first time in history, the richest man alive is not building rockets or electric cars — but databases and cloud systems that quietly run the world.
