Oracle’s Ellison overtakes Zuckerberg as world’s 2nd richest person

Oracle co‑founder Larry Ellison has overtaken Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg to become the world’s second‑richest person, Bloomberg reported.

As of 15 July, Ellison’s net worth rose to $251.2 billion, boosted by a $4.7 billion gain in a single day, after Oracle shares jumped 5.7% following reports of the US easing semiconductor export restrictions to China.

Oracle’s stock has climbed nearly 90% since late April and has tripled since the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022, thanks to booming AI and cloud revenues and landmark partnerships with firms such as OpenAI and SoftBank.

The company recently pledged $3 billion to expand AI development in Europe and unveiled its “Stargate” initiative, deepening its presence in AI infrastructure.

Over 80% of Ellison’s wealth is tied to Oracle stock and options, underscoring his fortunes’ close link to the company’s trajectory.

Oracle CEO Safra Catz, Ellison’s long‑time lieutenant, has also cashed in on the stock’s meteoric rise.

Bloomberg data show that Catz sold more than $2.3 billion worth of Oracle shares in the first half of 2025 alone, making her one of the largest corporate insiders to sell stock this year.

Ellison’s personal wealth has also jumped by about $59 billion this year, outpacing Zuckerberg’s $43.4 billion gain over the same period. Even so, he remains behind Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who holds the top spot at roughly $358 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.