Ellison Overtakes Musk as World’s Richest Man After Oracle Stock Surge

Lead Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison became the world’s richest person on September 10, 2025, after Oracle shares jumped over 39% on stronger-than-expected AI-driven earnings, pushing his net worth to roughly $393 billion and surpassing Elon Musk’s $385 billion.

Nut Graf The unprecedented one-day rally in Oracle’s stock-fueled by a bullish outlook on its cloud infrastructure and AI contracts-delivered Ellison a historic $100 billion wealth increase and ended Musk’s four-year run at the top, underscoring how volatile tech valuations can rapidly reshape billionaire rankings.

Market Reaction

  • Oracle shares soared 41% in early trading after the company reported record cloud bookings and unveiled new AI initiatives.
  • Investors piled into Oracle amid concerns that competitors like Amazon and Microsoft could lose ground in enterprise AI services.

Behind the Surge

  • AI Contracts: Major deals with Nvidia, Meta and OpenAI drove expectations for sustained high-margin growth.
  • Cloud Momentum: Oracle’s cloud revenue outlook topped analyst forecasts, signaling a stronger push into enterprise infrastructure.
  • One-Day Gain: Ellison’s personal stake-approximately 41% of Oracle-translated the stock jump into a staggering overnight windfall.

Implications for Musk

  • Tesla Volatility: Musk’s fortune, tied heavily to Tesla shares, dipped 13% year-to-date amid cooling EV demand and regulatory scrutiny in Europe.
  • SpaceX Valuation: Private valuations of SpaceX remained flat, limiting offsetting gains from Musk’s non-public holdings.
  • Title Contest: With Tesla’s upcoming product launches and new SpaceX contracts, Musk could reclaim the top spot if markets swing back in his favor.

Methodology Matters Different wealth trackers report slightly varying figures: Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index updates in real time and credited Ellison’s net worth at $393 billion, while Forbes maintained Musk at $439 billion based on alternative valuation models for private assets.

Short-Term Outlook Analysts caution that the title of “world’s richest” may remain in flux: a single earnings report or stock movement can create or erase tens of billions in personal wealth overnight, reflecting the high stakes of the global tech and AI industries.