Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, 81, briefly overtook Elon Musk as the world’s richest person this week after a sharp rise in Oracle’s stock price. Ellison’s net worth jumped by about $95 billion on Wednesday, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
The surge followed reports that Oracle secured a $300 billion cloud computing deal with OpenAI, one of the largest AI contracts ever signed.
Oracle Lands $300 Billion OpenAI Cloud Deal
Oracle, nearly 50 years old, projected that its cloud business could expand from $18 billion in annual revenue today to more than $140 billion in the coming years. With Ellison owning over 40% of the company, the rally gave him a temporary edge over Musk.
Musk’s Tesla-Linked Fortune Faces Pressure
Musk’s fortune is heavily tied to Tesla, which has struggled in 2025 with slowing sales and political controversies. That has left his wealth more volatile compared to Ellison’s recent gains.
Long-Time Allies Turn Into Wealth Rivals
Despite Ellison’s brief lead, Musk quickly reclaimed the top spot. Still, if Oracle delivers on its cloud growth forecasts, Ellison could challenge him again—and potentially hold the title longer.
Musk Regains Lead, But for How Long?
Ellison and Musk have a long-standing friendship. Ellison invested over $1 billion in Musk’s 2022 Twitter buyout and served on Tesla’s board for several years.
