September 10, 2025 — In a dramatic turn on global wealth rankings, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison briefly overtook Tesla and SpaceX chief Elon Musk as the world’s richest individual, propelled by a stunning surge in Oracle’s stock price.
Oracle’s latest earnings report exceeded Wall Street expectations, with its cloud infrastructure business posting record growth and securing multi-billion dollar contracts from major artificial intelligence players. Investor confidence sent Oracle’s shares soaring by more than 40 percent in early trading, instantly inflating Ellison’s net worth by nearly $100 billion in a single day.
According to Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index, Ellison’s fortune briefly peaked at around $393 billion, surpassing Musk’s estimated $388 billion. The 81-year-old tech titan, who still owns roughly 40 percent of Oracle, found himself sitting atop the global rich list for the first time.
Musk, however, quickly reclaimed the title later in the trading session as Oracle’s stock trimmed some of its early gains. The back-and-forth highlights the volatility of billionaire wealth rankings, which are largely dictated by stock market swings.
Net Worth Comparison (September 8–10, 2025)
| Date (2025) | Larry Ellison | Elon Musk | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 8 | $289B | $392B | Musk comfortably ahead |
| Sept 9 | $310B | $389B | Oracle stock begins to climb |
| Sept 10 (Morning) | $393B | $388B | Ellison briefly takes the lead |
| Sept 10 (Market Close) | $385B | $390B | Musk reclaims top spot |
Ellison, who co-founded Oracle in 1977, has long been one of Silicon Valley’s most enduring figures. Beyond his stake in Oracle, he owns vast real estate holdings — including almost the entire Hawaiian island of Lānaʻi — and investments in media and technology. His fortune is now more closely tied than ever to the rise of cloud computing and AI infrastructure.
Musk, by contrast, draws most of his wealth from Tesla, SpaceX, and his other ventures including X (formerly Twitter) and xAI. Tesla’s stock has faced a turbulent year, creating openings for rivals like Ellison to briefly overtake him in the wealth race.
Financial analysts note that while Ellison’s ascension may have been short-lived, it reflects the shifting balance of power in technology. As global demand for artificial intelligence accelerates, the companies providing the digital backbone — cloud storage, computing power, and enterprise software — are increasingly driving market value.
For now, Musk retains his crown, but the contest underscores the fragile nature of wealth built on stock valuations. In a world where fortunes can rise or fall by billions in a matter of hours, the title of “world’s richest person” remains one of the most fleeting in business.
Here’s a visual chart of Larry Ellison and Elon Musk’s net worth changes between September 8–10, 2025. It clearly shows Ellison’s sharp surge on the 10th, briefly surpassing Musk before closing slightly behind.
Conclusion
Larry Ellison’s brief ascendancy to the top spot among billionaires was a dramatic moment — a confluence of strong corporate performance, favorable market reactions, and the accelerating importance of AI infrastructure. Though Elon Musk regained the ranking by the end of the day, the event underscores the shifting dynamics of wealth in the tech world, where cloud computing and artificial intelligence are creating new power centers.
Whether Ellison remains—or returns—as the world’s richest person will depend on sustained growth at Oracle, continuing demand for cloud/AI services, and how well Tesla and Musk’s other ventures withstand market pressures.