For years, Elon Musk has been sitting on the throne of global wealth, flaunting his dominance with Tesla, SpaceX, and even his unpredictable antics on X (formerly Twitter). But as of this week, the billionaire leaderboard has had a shocking shake-up. Musk is no longer the richest man alive. Instead, a new face has taken the top spot—well, not new exactly, but someone who’s been in the game for decades.
Step forward: Larry Ellison, co-founder of Oracle.
The Billionaire Shuffle
On September 10, 2025, Bloomberg dropped the bombshell update: Ellison’s net worth skyrocketed to around $393 billion, officially making him the wealthiest person on Earth. Musk, who had comfortably sat at number one for nearly a year, was pushed into second place with a fortune of around $385 billion.
What caused this sudden flip? It wasn’t Musk making a massive mistake or selling all his assets—it was Ellison’s company, Oracle, blowing past all expectations.
The Rise of Oracle and the AI Gold Rush
If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll know AI is the hottest thing in tech right now. Everyone from Microsoft to Google has been scrambling to secure their piece of the AI pie. But it was Oracle’s recent earnings and forecast that triggered one of the wildest wealth jumps in history.
The company revealed jaw-dropping growth in its AI and cloud business. Investors went absolutely wild, sending Oracle’s stock soaring more than 40% in a single day. That rocket-fuel boost added over $100 billion to Ellison’s personal fortune—literally overnight. It was the largest one-day increase in wealth ever recorded.
For Musk, meanwhile, things weren’t looking as rosy. Tesla stock has been struggling due to slower sales and increased competition, especially in the electric vehicle market. While SpaceX and other ventures are still valuable, their private status means they don’t always give Musk the instant boosts that Ellison just enjoyed.
The Double Crown Dispute
Here’s where things get interesting. Bloomberg officially crowned Ellison the richest man, but Forbes isn’t ready to hand over the crown just yet. According to Forbes’ billionaire tracker, Musk is still number one with an estimated $439 billion, thanks to assets like SpaceX and X that Bloomberg doesn’t fully count.
So technically, depending on which list you believe, Musk is still clinging to the top. But if you’re following Bloomberg’s widely respected index, Ellison is the new king of cash.
Meet the New Number One
Larry Ellison isn’t exactly a household name like Musk or Jeff Bezos, but he’s always been lurking near the top of the billionaire charts. The 80-year-old founded Oracle back in 1977 and turned it into one of the biggest software companies in the world. He’s known for his flashy lifestyle, love of yachts, and owning an entire Hawaiian island (yep, you read that right).
Now, thanks to AI mania, Ellison has finally outpaced his younger rivals and grabbed the title of world’s richest person—for the first time ever.
Final Thoughts
Billionaire rankings might feel like a sports league at this point—one minute Musk is winning, the next Ellison is on top. But what this really shows is how fast fortunes can change when markets swing.
Elon Musk may have been knocked down a peg, but don’t count him out. With SpaceX aiming for Mars and Tesla still a giant in the EV world, Musk could easily claw his way back to number one. For now though, it’s Larry Ellison’s turn to shine—proof that in the race for riches, even the old guard can come roaring back to the front.
