Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison has become the world’s richest man, briefly surpassing Elon Musk after a surge in Oracle’s stock price pushed his fortune to $393 billion, according to Forbes. The 81-year-old billionaire’s wealth later slipped closer to Musk’s $384 billion as Oracle shares fluctuated. Ellison’s rise comes in a year marked by personal and professional milestones, including his son David Ellison’s takeover of CBS and his growing influence in business and politics.

Ellison has long been a prominent figure in Silicon Valley, despite being less publicly visible than Musk. Known for his extravagant lifestyle of yachts, jets, and his ownership of Hawaii’s island of Lanai, Ellison built his fortune from software in the 1970s when he co-founded Oracle after a contract with the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Under his leadership, Oracle grew into a global powerhouse serving Fortune 500 firms and expanded into cloud computing. The artificial intelligence boom has further boosted Oracle’s value, with major deals involving OpenAI.

After serving as Oracle’s CEO for 37 years, Ellison shifted to chief technology officer in 2014 while retaining a dominant stake of more than 40% in the company. Beyond Oracle, he has sat on Tesla’s board and holds a stake in Elon Musk’s electric car venture. He also controls nearly half of Paramount Skydance, a media conglomerate led by his son David, which owns CBS, MTV, and Paramount Pictures. Despite assurances of neutrality, reports suggest CBS News could bring in polarizing journalist Bari Weiss under David’s leadership.

Ellison’s influence extends beyond business into politics, with close ties to former U.S. president Donald Trump and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He has hosted Trump at his Lanai estate and played a role as Oracle positioned itself as a potential buyer of TikTok amid U.S. regulatory pressure. Ellison has also donated heavily to the Israeli military, including a record $16.6 million contribution in 2017 to Friends of the Israel Defense Forces.

Lanai, where Ellison owns 98% of the land, has become both a symbol of his wealth and a source of tension. He has transformed the island into a luxury retreat with a Four Seasons resort and a hydroponic farm, while residents have voiced concerns about being priced out of their community. For now, however, Ellison’s wealth, business reach, and political ties firmly position him as a central figure in both global finance and power circles — and, at least for the moment, ahead of his friend Musk in the billionaires’ race.

Source: The Guardian.