When we talk of people who have dominated the world, we have names like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg.
While Larry Ellison may not be the first tech billionaire that comes to mind, yet, as of July 2025, the Oracle co-founder has quietly risen to become the second-richest person on Earth, with an estimated fortune exceeding $251 billion.
Surpassing Zuckerberg and briefly nudging ahead of Bezos, Ellison’s ascent is no fluke, it’s a story built on shrewd bets, long-term thinking, and the growing dominance of AI infrastructure.
From college dropout to tech billionaire
Born in 1944 to a single mother and raised by relatives in Chicago, Larry Ellison’s early life was anything but glamorous. He dropped out of college twice and moved to California in search of something bigger. That “something” turned out to be software.
After working on a CIA project codenamed “Oracle,” Ellison and two colleagues launched their own company in 1977.
That company, Oracle Corporation would go on to become one of the most powerful enterprise software firms in the world. What set Oracle apart in its early years was its embrace of relational databases at a time when the concept was still cutting-edge.
Businesses and government agencies needed to organize data, and Oracle was right there to meet the demand.
Oracle’s rise and Ellison’s big stake
Under Ellison’s leadership, Oracle expanded aggressively. He was never afraid to take risks whether acquiring rival companies or entering new markets. The 2010 acquisition of Sun Microsystems, for instance, brought Oracle control over Java and MySQL, two of the world’s most widely used programming technologies.
Today, even though Ellison stepped down as CEO in 2014, he still serves as Oracle’s chief technology officer and board chairman. More importantly, he owns about 40% of the company, a stake that’s the main engine behind his wealth.
How is Ellison is riding the AI wave
The most explosive chapter in Ellison’s financial story came in the last few years. Oracle, long seen as a legacy tech company, has staged a major comeback by pivoting to cloud computing and becoming a key player in the AI infrastructure boom.
Following the rise of tools like ChatGPT in late 2022, demand for AI data storage, processing power, and cloud capacity skyrocketed. Oracle was ready. It struck major cloud deals including one with OpenAI and another with Elon Musk’s xAI initiative.
Backed by heavy investment and strategic alliances, Oracle’s stock price has tripled since late 2022 and jumped over 90% in the last three months alone.
In just one day in June 2025, Ellison reportedly added $26 billion to his net worth following a stellar earnings report from Oracle. This surge in valuation is what catapulted him past Zuckerberg and nearly overtook Bezos.
He is not just into software
Beyond Oracle, Ellison has built a lifestyle and investment portfolio as extravagant as his net worth. He owns Hawaii’s sixth-largest island Lanai along with sprawling estates, high-end yachts, and a passion for competitive sailing.
He founded Oracle Team USA, which won the prestigious America’s Cup in 2010. He’s also a significant shareholder in Tesla, has held stakes in X (formerly Twitter), and has used his wealth to influence both Silicon Valley and U.S. politics.
He is one of the biggest philanthropist
Despite his reputation as a competitive businessman, Ellison has increasingly turned toward philanthropy, especially in recent years. He joined the Giving Pledge in 2010, promising to donate at least 95% of his wealth.
More recently, he launched the Ellison Institute of Technology, a philanthropic organization focused on breakthroughs in health, energy, food security, and AI.
This shows a shift from traditional charity to innovation-led giving, an approach in line with Ellison’s lifelong belief in disruptive thinking and long-term bets.