In September 2025, Larry Ellison, Oracle Corporation’s co-founder and chief technology officer, briefly claimed the title of the world’s richest person, surpassing Elon Musk with a net worth of $393 billion. Fueled by Oracle’s explosive growth in artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud infrastructure, Ellison’s wealth surged by $100 billion in a single day, driven by a 43% spike in Oracle’s stock price. At 81, Ellison’s journey from a college dropout to a tech titan reshaping AI and philanthropy underscores his enduring influence. This article explores his rise, Oracle’s AI-driven success, and his broader impact on technology, politics, and society.
Early Life and Founding of Oracle
Born on August 17, 1944, in New York City, Lawrence Joseph Ellison was raised in Chicago’s South Shore by his adoptive parents after his biological mother gave him up at nine months. A self-described religious skeptic, Ellison dropped out of the University of Illinois and the University of Chicago, moving to California to work as a programmer at Ampex. There, he contributed to a database project for the CIA, code-named “Oracle,” which inspired his entrepreneurial venture.
In 1977, Ellison co-founded Software Development Laboratories (later Oracle Corporation) with Bob Miner and Ed Oates, starting with $1,200 of his own money. The company launched the Oracle Database, a revolutionary relational database management system, and went public in 1986, a day before Microsoft. Ellison’s vision transformed Oracle into a global leader in enterprise software, serving corporations and governments. By September 2025, Oracle’s market value neared $1 trillion, driven by its cloud and AI services, cementing Ellison’s legacy as a tech pioneer.
Oracle’s AI and Cloud Surge in 2025
The catalyst for Ellison’s wealth surge was Oracle’s stellar quarterly earnings reported on September 9, 2025. The company projected cloud infrastructure revenue to soar from $18 billion in 2025 to $144 billion by 2030, a 77% increase, fueled by demand from AI giants like OpenAI and xAI. Oracle signed four multibillion-dollar contracts, with a $455 billion backlog in contracted revenue, up 359% from the previous year. Shares surged 43% on September 10, the biggest single-day gain since 1992, boosting Ellison’s 41% stake to $380 billion, per Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index.
Ellison’s strategic pivot to AI infrastructure has positioned Oracle as a key player in the AI boom. The company’s $500 billion Stargate Project, announced in January 2025 alongside OpenAI’s Sam Altman and SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son, aims to build massive AI data centers. Oracle’s cloud services, competing with Amazon, Microsoft, and Google, now power AI workloads for firms like xAI, founded by Ellison’s friend Elon Musk. CEO Safra Catz emphasized, “Oracle has become the go-to place for AI workloads,” a sentiment echoed by analysts at Bank of America and Citi, who upgraded Oracle’s stock to “buy” in 2025.
Financial Engineering and Wealth Accumulation
Ellison’s wealth is intricately tied to Oracle’s stock performance, enhanced by financial strategies like stock buybacks. Since 2011, Oracle spent $142 billion repurchasing shares, reducing its share count by half and nearly doubling Ellison’s stake from 22% to 41%. He holds 1.16 billion shares, with 277 million pledged as collateral for loans, a practice that allows him to borrow without selling, per Forbes. These loans, worth around $93 billion, fund his lavish lifestyle, including a $300 million Hawaiian island, Lanai, purchased in 2012.
On September 10, 2025, Ellison’s net worth jumped by $100 billion, the largest single-day gain ever recorded, briefly surpassing Musk’s $384 billion. By day’s end, Musk reclaimed the top spot, but Ellison’s $383 billion fortune solidified his position among tech giants like Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg. His wealth also stems from past investments, including a $1 billion stake in Musk’s Twitter (now X) acquisition and 45 million Tesla shares held until 2022, when he stepped down from Tesla’s board.
Philanthropy and Controversial Ventures
Ellison’s wealth extends to philanthropy, though his approach differs from peers like Bill Gates. In 2010, he signed the Giving Pledge but later redirected efforts toward the Ellison Institute of Technology at Oxford, launched in December 2024. The institute, a for-profit venture, aims to address health, hunger, and climate change through AI, robotics, and sustainable agriculture. Ellison pledged £1 billion to build a campus and fund 20 annual fellowships, but a 2025 Wall Street Journal report criticized his Sensei Ag farming initiative for technological missteps.
His philanthropy has faced scrutiny. In 2006, Ellison reneged on a $115 million pledge to Harvard after a leadership change, and a New York Times report noted his limited engagement with the Giving Pledge community. He has donated to causes like the Israel Defense Forces ($26.6 million since 2014) and a community center in Sderot, Israel, but his involvement in a 2020 post-election call challenging U.S. vote legitimacy, alongside figures like Sean Hannity, drew criticism, per The Washington Post.
Political and Media Influence
Ellison’s ties to U.S. President Donald Trump have amplified his influence. A frequent White House visitor, he joined Trump in January 2025 to announce the Stargate Project and has been floated as a potential buyer of TikTok’s U.S. operations amid its ownership disputes. His political donations lean Republican, with millions supporting conservative causes. In media, Ellison bankrolled his son David’s $8 billion acquisition of Paramount Global via Skydance Media in August 2025, owning nearly 50% of the merged entity, which includes CBS and MTV.
His relationship with Musk, a close friend and frequent guest on Lanai, has shaped his ventures. Ellison invested $1 billion in Musk’s Twitter purchase and served on Tesla’s board from 2018 to 2022. Their bond, detailed in Walter Isaacson’s Musk biography, underscores Ellison’s role as a mentor to the Tesla CEO, influencing tech and political spheres.
Lifestyle and Public Persona
Ellison’s flamboyant lifestyle is legendary. He owns 98% of Lanai, envisioning it as an eco-resort, and has properties in Malibu, Newport, and Woodside, California. A sailing enthusiast, he won the America’s Cup in 2010 and 2013 and co-founded SailGP in 2018, attracting celebrity investors like Kylian Mbappé. He revived the Indian Wells tennis tournament, earning it the “fifth slam” nickname, and owns a stake in the BNP Paribas Open.
At 81, Ellison remains active in Oracle, focusing on AI innovation. His rare social media presence, with only three X posts by August 2025, included a cryptic pledge to redouble philanthropy efforts. Known for his competitive streak, he once sparred publicly with Bill Gates and Google’s Eric Schmidt, cementing his reputation as a brash Silicon Valley maverick.
Challenges and Criticisms
Ellison’s wealth and influence invite scrutiny. His stock pledging has raised concerns about Oracle’s debt, with $92 billion outstanding as of May 2025. Oracle’s layoffs of 3,000 employees in 2025, amid AI investments, sparked debate about labor priorities. Critics also question his for-profit philanthropy model, with some arguing it prioritizes commercial viability over social good. His political affiliations, particularly with Trump, and involvement in controversial projects like an East Jerusalem archaeological dig, have drawn backlash from activists.
The Future: Ellison’s Lasting Impact
Ellison’s brief stint as the world’s richest person in 2025 highlights Oracle’s pivotal role in the AI era. With plans to build more cloud data centers than competitors combined, he aims to make Oracle the backbone of AI infrastructure. His philanthropy, through the Ellison Institute, could redefine tech-driven solutions for global challenges, though its success remains uncertain. As a media mogul and political influencer, Ellison’s legacy extends beyond technology, shaping entertainment and policy.
Conclusion
Larry Ellison’s meteoric rise to the world’s richest person in September 2025, driven by Oracle’s AI and cloud dominance, marks a defining moment in his storied career. From founding Oracle with $1,200 to amassing a $393 billion fortune, his journey reflects relentless ambition and innovation. As he navigates philanthropy, politics, and AI, Ellison continues to redefine what it means to be a tech titan in 2025.
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