Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison is now world's 2nd richest person
What's the story
Larry Ellison, the co-founder of tech giant Oracle, has become the second richest person in the world.
His net worth surged by a staggering $26 billion after a major jump in Oracle's shares.
The move has pushed Ellison's wealth to $243 billion, just behind Elon Musk's $407 billion fortune.The spike came after Oracle posted better-than-expected quarterly earnings and revenue figures for its last financial quarter.
Wealth ranking
Surpassing Bezos and Zuckerberg
Ellison's massive gain took him past Amazon chairman Jeff Bezos ($228 billion net worth) and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg ($239 billion).
This makes him the second richest person in the world, according to Forbes's real-time billionaires ranking.
The post-earnings rally sent Oracle stock to a record closing price of $200 per share, reflecting investor confidence in the company's long-term prospects, especially in artificial intelligence (AI).
Economic impact
Ellison's net worth exceeds GDP of several countries
Ellison's net worth now exceeds the GDP of several countries, according to International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates.
His fortune is more than that of Hungary ($237 billion), Qatar ($222 billion), Ukraine ($205 billion), Nigeria ($188 billion), Morocco ($165 billion), and Kuwait ($153 billion).
This puts him in a financial league usually reserved for sovereign nations rather than individual entrepreneurs.
Beyond Oracle
Things to know about Ellison
Ellison co-founded Oracle in 1977 and has been a major player in Silicon Valley for decades.
He served on Tesla's board from 2018 to 2022, strengthening ties with tech giants.
His interests extend beyond software; he bought 98% of Lanai island in Hawaii for $300 million in 2012.
He also contributed to bringing a star quarterback to the University of Michigan, his wife Kere Zhu's alma mater.
AI project
The Stargate project unveiling
In January, Ellison was seen with US President Donald Trump unveiling Stargate, a strategic AI initiative by Oracle, SoftBank, and OpenAI.
The project aims to advance America's dominance in AI by building scalable infrastructure.
This further highlights how Ellison continues to blend business innovation with national-level influence.
His latest wealth leap highlights not just Oracle's financial momentum but also his enduring clout in the global tech ecosystem.