Larry Ellison: The Billionaire Who Redefined Cool—and Is Now the Second Richest Person on Earth

In November 2022, Larry Ellison’s net worth was an impressive $80 billion, placing him around 20th on the global rich list. That same month, OpenAI launched the first version of ChatGPT, lighting the fuse on the AI arms race. Just a few short years later, Ellison has become not only a central figure in the AI revolution, but also the second richest person on the planet.

And it’s not just his wealth that makes him extraordinary. Larry Ellison is the billionaire you dreamed of being as a teenager: bold, eccentric, extravagantly unapologetic, and endlessly fascinating. But let’s start with how he got here.

From Database King to AI Powerhouse

Larry Ellison co-founded Oracle in 1977, and for decades, it was best known as the undisputed leader in enterprise databases. Oracle was powerful, but not flashy. While other tech giants were making headlines with smartphones and social media, Oracle quietly kept the corporate world running.

Then, AI changed everything.

As demand for AI infrastructure skyrocketed in the wake of ChatGPT’s release, Oracle’s cloud division—long overshadowed by AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud—found itself in high demand. Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), built specifically for high-performance computing, offered a cost-effective, faster alternative for AI workloads. Suddenly, what had once been dismissed as a legacy software company was a key enabler of the AI future.

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In 2024, OpenAI signed a major partnership with Oracle, leasing large-scale GPU clusters. This deal, reportedly one of Oracle’s largest infrastructure contracts ever, marked the beginning of a transformation. Other AI firms followed, attracted by Oracle’s technical efficiency, low-latency performance, and competitive pricing.

Oracle stock nearly tripled between late 2022 and mid-2025. As a result, Ellison’s wealth soared in tandem.

A New Billionaire Leaderboard

As of July 16, 2025, Larry Ellison’s net worth sits at $256 billion, up over $70 billion since the start of the year. That puts him just behind Elon Musk—and ahead of Mark Zuckerberg—for the first time ever.

Here’s how the top of the global billionaire leaderboard looks right now:

1. Elon Musk – $368 billion
2. Larry Ellison – $256 billion
3. Mark Zuckerberg – $247 billion
4. Steve Ballmer – $176 billion
5. Bernard Arnault – $155 billion

Part of Ellison’s fortune also comes from his 1.4% stake in Tesla, which he acquired for $1 billion in 2018. That stake alone is now worth around $14 billion.

A Real-Life Tony Stark

Beyond the numbers, Ellison has built a life that reads like fiction. While many billionaires tout humility and “quiet luxury,” Ellison lives as if modesty were a design flaw.

He collects mansions like baseball cards—Malibu, Silicon Valley, North Palm Beach, Manalapan, Rancho Mirage. In 2023, he bought the Gemini Estate in Florida for $175 million, a sprawling 16-acre beachfront palace with a private golf course and 47 bathrooms—the most expensive home ever sold in the state.

In 2024, he followed up by acquiring the Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa, located right next door. The 309-room resort has hosted Vanderbilts and Roosevelts, and now it’s part of Ellison’s real estate empire.

His Silicon Valley home is a $200 million Japanese-style estate. He owns a $100 million golf compound. He’s not building a real estate portfolio—he’s building an empire.

Jet Fighter Fleet? Check. Superyacht? Of Course.

Ellison’s private collection includes fleets of aircraft, decommissioned military jets, and a 288-foot superyacht. He owns a world-class sailing team that won the America’s Cup, and the BNP Paribas Open, a prestigious tennis tournament often dubbed the “fifth Grand Slam,” which he hosts at his Indian Wells Tennis Garden—also owned by him.

His children didn’t just inherit money—they inherited opportunities. Both received $200 million on their 25th birthdays. His daughter, Megan Ellison, is a successful film producer, while his son, David, is on the brink of acquiring Paramount Studios, pending the resolution of a multi-billion-dollar lawsuit.

Lanai: His Personal Utopia

In 2012, Ellison bought 98% of the Hawaiian island of Lāna’i for $300 million. That’s right—not just land or property, but the island itself. All 140 square miles. Population: around 3,000. Ownership: Larry.

Over the last decade, he’s invested more than $500 million into transforming Lāna’i into a vision of sustainable luxury. He upgraded the island’s energy, water, and farming systems. He launched a wellness company focused on longevity. He built solar farms and modernized infrastructure. And he upgraded both Four Seasons resorts on the island—one oceanfront, one a misty highland retreat—into billionaire-level experiences.

What’s Lāna’i worth today? No one really knows. Some estimate it could be worth $5–10 billion. But it’s not for sale—and probably never will be.

Future Trillionaire?

Here’s perhaps the most remarkable thing: Larry Ellison never sold out.

Back in 1986, when Oracle went public, Ellison owned 39% of the company. Microsoft went public the very next day, with Bill Gates owning 45%. Over time, Gates sold off most of his stake, now holding just 1.4%. Ellison, by contrast, doubled down. Today, he owns 42% of Oracle.

If Oracle’s market cap reaches $2.4 trillion, Ellison will become the world’s first trillionaire.

Is that possible? Absolutely. Apple is worth over $3.1 trillion. NVIDIA just passed $4 trillion. Oracle’s climb isn’t just hype—it’s grounded in real infrastructure, real revenue, and real AI demand.

Legacy and Longevity

At 80 years old, time is perhaps the only limit. But Ellison is obsessed with longevity and anti-aging. He’s poured millions into health research and founded an institute dedicated to extending human life. If anyone’s going to stick around long enough to reach trillionaire status, it just might be him.

He’s not just rich. He’s not just eccentric. Larry Ellison has spent decades writing his own rules—and now, he’s winning by them.

From software king to AI giant, from real estate mogul to island ruler, from Silicon Valley legend to potential trillionaire—Larry Ellison isn’t just one of the richest men alive. He’s the most fascinating.