In a dramatic reshuffling of the global billionaire rankings, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison has surged to the second spot, overtaking Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg. His net worth has skyrocketed to an estimated $275.9 billion as of July 2025, following a 32% surge in Oracle’s stock in June alone. Ellison, who still owns nearly 41% of the company, gained more than $56 billion in just over a month. The tech mogul’s leap in wealth reflects Oracle’s rising influence in cloud computing and AI, making him one of the most powerful figures in the new tech economy, second only to Elon Musk.
Larry Ellison’s journey from dropout to tech titan
Born in 1944 in New York City and raised in a modest Chicago neighborhood by his aunt and uncle, Larry Ellison’s path was far from traditional. He dropped out of two colleges before working as a programmer at companies like Amdahl and Ampex. In 1977, he co-founded Oracle with just $2,000 and two partners, Bob Miner and Ed Oates, inspired by a paper on relational databases from IBM.Oracle’s first big break came when the CIA contracted Ellison’s firm to build a database system, code-named “Oracle.” That deal gave the company both its name and a high-profile launchpad. Within two years, Oracle released the first commercial SQL-based database product, revolutionizing data management.
Oracle’s evolution and rise in AI
Under Ellison’s leadership, Oracle became the global leader in database software and enterprise technology. Even after stepping down as CEO in 2014, Ellison stayed closely involved as chairman and chief technology officer. His strategic push into cloud computing and AI has paid off handsomely.Oracle’s recent growth has been powered by demand for AI-ready infrastructure and enterprise cloud services, placing it in direct competition with tech giants like Amazon and Microsoft. Massive investments in AI, along with strategic acquisitions such as Sun Microsystems and NetSuite, have helped Oracle become a major player in the AI arms race.
A billionaire lifestyle with lasting tech impact
At 80, Ellison is not only a tech visionary but also one of the world’s most flamboyant billionaires. He owns multiple properties, including a Hawaiian island (Lanai), luxury yachts, and high-end real estate in California and Japan. Despite his wealth, Ellison remains deeply involved in Oracle’s innovation strategy.Ellison’s rise is not just a story of stock gains. It is a reminder that foundational tech infrastructure, often overshadowed by social media and e-commerce, is once again central to the digital economy. From building databases in the 1970s to driving AI innovation in the 2020s, Ellison’s influence spans nearly five decades of tech evolution.
