Oracle’s AI boom transforms Ellison’s fortune, as he refocuses his philanthropic vision on science and technology.
Larry Ellison has officially leapfrogged Mark Zuckerberg to become the second-richest person on Earth, as a scorching rally in Oracle’s stock—fueled by the artificial intelligence revolution—catapults his net worth to a staggering $251.2 billion. It’s the first time the Oracle founder, now 80, has ever reached the No. 2 spot on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, trailing only Elon Musk, who sits atop the list with $357.8 billion.
This meteoric rise is no fluke. Since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, Oracle’s shares have nearly tripled, riding a wave of investor enthusiasm for AI infrastructure—and Ellison, who holds over 80% of his wealth in Oracle stock and options, is riding it all the way to the top.
Oracle’s AI Windfall and Ellison’s Soaring Wealth
Oracle Corp. has become one of the most unexpected winners in the AI arms race. The company’s stock has exploded—up over 90% in just the past three months alone—as it locks down multi-billion dollar cloud contracts and announces massive data center expansions to support AI firms like OpenAI. On Tuesday, shares rose another 5.7% following reports that the U.S. government would loosen semiconductor export restrictions to China, benefitting companies like Nvidia and AMD—two of Oracle’s closest AI partners.
In June, Oracle announced that OpenAI would be significantly expanding its cloud usage as part of a new multilateral partnership known as Stargate, involving SoftBank and Oracle. The initiative is expected to massively increase Oracle’s global AI infrastructure footprint, a move that could keep Ellison’s net worth climbing well into FY2026.
“FY26 will be even better,” Oracle CEO Safra Catz said during the company’s earnings call, after Oracle beat quarterly revenue estimates in June according to Reuters.
Larry Ellison (left) has surpassed Mark Zuckerberg (right) to become the world’s second-richest person, as Oracle’s AI-fueled stock surge propels his net worth to $251.2 billion.
Ellison Refocuses Philanthropy Toward Technology
With his fortune surging, Ellison isn’t just buying more yachts. He announced this week via a post on X that he would be modifying his commitment to the Giving Pledge—a promise by billionaires to donate at least half of their wealth—to prioritize funding for the Ellison Institute of Technology, a new scientific hub founded in 2023 in collaboration with the University of Oxford.
According to Ellison, the institute will “focus on solving humanity’s most urgent problems” in clean energy, health, AI, and sustainable agriculture.
The Ellison Institute of Technology, headquartered in Oxford and Los Angeles, is already partnering with leading scientists and institutions to develop AI-driven health diagnostics and energy innovations. This pivot in Ellison’s philanthropic strategy mirrors similar moves by fellow tech billionaires like Bill Gates, who’ve turned their wealth into specialized global foundations.
Other Billionaires in Motion: Nvidia’s Huang Enters the Top 10
Ellison isn’t the only billionaire riding the AI wave. Jensen Huang, co-founder and CEO of Nvidia, recently passed Warren Buffett to become the ninth-richest person in the world, per Bloomberg. His net worth, also mostly tied up in company equity, reflects Nvidia’s skyrocketing valuation as the chipmaker of choice for AI data centers.
Meta’s Zuckerberg, now demoted to third place, still holds a formidable $247 billion, but his social media empire has yet to see the same Wall Street frenzy that Oracle and Nvidia enjoy from the enterprise AI boom.
A Broader Trend: AI Wealth Reshaping the Billionaire Index
The sudden reshuffling of the world’s richest people isn’t just about individual stock movements—it reflects a larger paradigm shift toward AI infrastructure dominance. While consumer-facing platforms like Meta or TikTok may dominate headlines, it’s the providers of compute power, semiconductors, and cloud infrastructure—like Oracle and Nvidia—that are quietly amassing historic gains.
According to Forbes, the total net worth of the top 20 tech billionaires increased by more than $700 billion in the first half of 2025 alone, led primarily by firms involved in large-scale AI computing.
Oracle founder Larry Ellison pictured during a formal White House visit, where tech leaders discussed the future of AI and national infrastructure.
FAQs Larry Ellison: People Also Ask
How did Larry Ellison become so rich?
Larry Ellison co-founded Oracle Corporation in 1977 and built it into a global leader in enterprise software and cloud computing. Most of his wealth comes from his massive holdings in Oracle stock and options, which have surged in value due to the AI boom.
Why did Oracle’s stock go up so much in 2025?
Oracle’s stock nearly tripled after November 2022 thanks to strong cloud revenue, AI infrastructure demand, and major contracts with OpenAI and government agencies. Looser chip export rules to China also helped drive a recent surge.
What is the Ellison Institute of Technology?
Founded in 2023, the Ellison Institute of Technology is a research center focused on solving global challenges in health, clean energy, agriculture, and AI. It’s backed by Ellison’s philanthropic funding and partnered with the University of Oxford.
Who is the richest person in the world right now?
As of July 2025, Elon Musk remains the world’s richest individual with a net worth of $357.8 billion, followed by Larry Ellison and Mark Zuckerberg, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Final Thoughts: The Oracle of AI?
Larry Ellison’s rise is more than a personal milestone—it marks the arrival of the AI economy’s next phase. No longer is AI simply a software revolution; it’s a deep infrastructure race, and Oracle has muscled its way into the top tier. With Ellison now channeling his immense wealth into applied science through the Ellison Institute, he seems poised to leave a legacy that goes far beyond code or capital.
As AI reshapes the world economy, it’s no longer just about who builds the smartest chatbot—but who builds the world it runs on.
