For a brief period, from approximately 30 minutes to a few hours on September 10, 2025, Larry Ellison, the billionaire co-founder of Oracle, briefly became the richest person in the world, overtaking Elon Musk.
His massive fortune spike was the result of a record-breaking jump in Oracle’s stock, which gained nearly 40% in a single day. But before he could revel in it, Musk managed to take back his crown. This illustrates how the race for the world’s richest title can change hands overnight.
Who Is Larry Ellison?
Larry Ellison is one of Silicon Valley’s most enduring figures. He was born in 1944 in New York to a single mother, and he was raised by relatives in Chicago. He dropped out of college twice, eventually moving to California in the 1960s with little money but big ambitions.
In 1977, alongside Bob Miner and Ed Oates, Ellison co-founded Oracle, a software company that built database programs for businesses. Oracle grew rapidly during the computer boom of the 1980s and 1990s, becoming one of the most important tech companies in the world.
Ellison served as CEO of Oracle until 2014, and he remains Oracle’s largest shareholder, owning about 41% of the company. He also played a key role in making Oracle a global leader in business software, cloud services, and now AI infrastructure.
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Ellison is famous for his extravagant lifestyle. He owns a private island in Hawaii called Lanai, where he has invested in sustainable energy and agriculture. He collects luxury yachts, private jets, and multimillion-dollar homes. He has also invested in other big companies, including Tesla and Salesforce, and once served on Apple’s board of directors.
Larry Ellison isn’t only famous for his tech empire and billionaire status, but his personal life has also drawn plenty of attention over the years. The Oracle co-founder has walked down the aisle multiple times. In fact, the 81-year-old mogul has been married six times.
Ellison’s first marriage was to Adda Quinn, lasting from 1967 to 1974, long before he built his Oracle fortune. The seven-year union was plagued by financial struggles, which ultimately led to their divorce. His second marriage came in 1977, when he wed Nancy Wheeler Jenkins. That relationship was short-lived, ending just a year later in 1978.
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In 1983, Ellison married Barbara Boothe, a receptionist at one of his companies. Together, they had two children: David and Megan Ellison, and the marriage ended in 1986. His most publicised marriage was his fourth. He got married to romance novelist Melanie Craft. They got married in 2003, and the marriage lasted seven years before ending in 2010.
Ellison later married Ukrainian model, actress, and animal rights activist Nikita Kahn in 2010. He loved her so much that he named a luxury restaurant in Malibu after her. However, the couple separated in 2016, finalising their divorce in May 2020. Ellison’s current wife is Jolin Zhu, whom he is believed to have married in 2023.
How Ellison Surpassed Elon Musk
On Tuesday evening, September 9th, Oracle announced stronger-than-expected earnings and a positive forecast, thanks to growing demand for AI infrastructure services, and the reaction was historic.
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Oracle’s stock jumped by nearly 40%, its biggest single-day rise since 1992.
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The company’s market value increased by $244 billion, pushing it close to the $1 trillion mark.
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Oracle’s ranking on the S&P 500 index climbed from 13th to 10th place, overtaking major companies like Walmart and JPMorgan Chase.
Because Ellison owns around 1.16 billion shares of Oracle, his wealth skyrocketed:
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His net worth increased by more than $100 billion in one day, the largest single-day wealth gain ever recorded by Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index.
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At one point, Ellison’s fortune hit $393 billion, surpassing Musk’s $385 billion.
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So, for a few hours on Wednesday morning, Larry Ellison was officially the richest man alive.
How Musk Took Back the Title
Elon Musk, who has largely dominated the top of the rich list since 2021, didn’t stay in second place for long. By the end of Wednesday’s trading session, Tesla’s stock value had lifted Musk’s fortune back up, and as of today, September 11th, Elon is worth $435.6 billion. Musk has seen his position challenged before:
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In 2021, Bernard Arnault, the French luxury tycoon behind LVMH, briefly overtook him.
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In 2024, Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, also claimed the top spot for a short period.
Yet, each time, Musk has reclaimed his crown. While Ellison represents the first generation of Silicon Valley billionaires, who built the foundation of modern enterprise technology, Musk represents the new wave, pioneering electric cars, rockets, and AI.
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