Larry Ellison, co-founder of Oracle, has seen his net worth take a significant hit, dropping $5.3 billion—or 2.3%—to $225.8 billion, according to Forbes’ Real-Time Billionaires list. The decline now places Ellison behind Mark Zuckerberg ($229.6 billion) and Jeff Bezos ($251.3 billion) in global billionaire rankings. Meanwhile, Google co-founders Larry Page ($275.4 billion) and Sergey Brin ($254.1 billion) trail behind, with Tesla CEO Elon Musk remaining the world’s richest person at $777.9 billion, despite a slight drop in his fortune.
The drop in Ellison’s wealth is tied directly to Oracle’s recent stock performance. Since hitting an all-time intraday high of $345.72 on September 10, 2025, Oracle shares have tumbled nearly 49%. That record high followed a 35% intraday surge, marking Oracle’s largest single-day gain since 1992 and adding more than $100 billion to Ellison’s fortune at the time.
Investors have grown cautious after Oracle announced ambitious plans for AI infrastructure expansion. Earlier this month, the company was sued by bondholders claiming they suffered losses due to Oracle’s lack of disclosure on the amount of new debt it intends to issue. Oracle did not immediately comment on the lawsuit.
Ellison’s wealth trajectory over the past year has been dramatic. In September 2025, he became the second person in history to surpass a $400 billion net worth, riding the wave of investor optimism around Oracle and its AI ambitions. By December, he briefly became the world’s third-richest individual, fueled in part by Oracle’s participation in a high-profile deal involving TikTok’s U.S. operations. Under that arrangement, Oracle, private equity firm Silver Lake, and Abu Dhabi’s MGX would be leading investors in TikTok’s new U.S. business. Oracle is set to hold a 15% stake in the venture and manage TikTok’s U.S. user data.
Despite the deal, Oracle’s shares fell more than 4% immediately following the announcement. Market analysts attribute the dip to skepticism about Oracle’s ability to quickly monetize its stake, coupled with broader investor caution around AI-related stock speculation. CEO Safra Catz had projected revenue to double to $32 billion by fiscal year 2027, and potentially soar to $144 billion over the next three years, signaling aggressive growth targets that investors are scrutinizing closely.
The volatility in Oracle’s stock highlights the high-stakes nature of tech investing, especially in sectors like AI and cloud computing. Even as Ellison’s net worth remains astronomical, the fluctuations illustrate how quickly market sentiment can impact billionaire rankings. While Oracle remains a titan in enterprise software, investors are watching how its ambitious AI expansion and involvement in TikTok will translate into tangible earnings.
Larry Ellison, who has long been a staple among the world’s wealthiest individuals, now faces a period of uncertainty in his fortune. His position as a top-five billionaire is no longer secure, with Zuckerberg, Bezos, and other tech magnates nipping at his heels. Analysts suggest that Oracle’s next quarterly earnings, along with updates on AI infrastructure investments and TikTok revenue streams, could play a decisive role in the company’s stock trajectory—and by extension, Ellison’s net worth.
Despite these setbacks, Ellison remains a dominant figure in the tech world. His decades-long leadership at Oracle has transformed the company from a database software provider into a global cloud and enterprise technology powerhouse. While the stock decline is notable, his influence over Oracle and its strategic direction remains unquestioned.
With AI investments and high-profile partnerships like TikTok on the horizon, market observers will be closely monitoring whether Oracle can regain momentum and stabilize its shares. For Ellison, the swings in his fortune serve as a reminder that even the richest individuals are subject to the ups and downs of public markets—especially in a tech-driven, high-growth environment.
