Oracle Slides 30% After Larry Ellison Briefly Overtook Elon Musk as Richest Man
In a stunning turn of events, Oracle Corporation — the tech company co-founded by Larry Ellison — has lost around 30% of its market value just a few months after Ellison briefly overtook Elon Musk to become the world’s richest person.
How Did Ellison Beat Musk — Even If Just for a Day?
- On 10 September 2025, Oracle's stock surged nearly 41–43% in a single session.
- The spike was driven by a blockbuster earnings report and very bullish guidance for Oracle’s cloud infrastructure business, especially from AI-driven demand.
- Ellison holds about 40-41% stake in Oracle, so the stock rally translated into a $101 billion jump in his personal wealth — enough to briefly overtake Musk on billionaire rankings.
- At its peak, his net worth was estimated at $393 billion.
Why Did Oracle’s Shares Fall 30%?
Despite the big gold rush, the momentum didn’t last:
- Profit-Taking: After such a massive one-day rally, many investors locked in their gains.
- Realism on AI Deals: While the markets cheered Oracle’s AI-cloud contracts (including rumored deals with big names), not all growth is immediate. Some projections may be too aggressive.
- Market Volatility: Tech stocks — especially those tied to AI — have become more volatile. When expectations cool down, price corrections can be steep.
- Ellison’s Wealth Tied to Oracle: Because most of his wealth comes from Oracle, Ellison’s personal fortune is directly linked to the stock swings. That makes his billionaire ranking more fragile than someone diversified across multiple assets.
What This Means for Oracle & the AI Cloud Business
- Oracle’s AI-powered data center ambitions are real and massive. The company has reportedly locked in huge orders for its cloud infrastructure, helping push its valuation earlier.
- But investors are now questioning the pace of delivery. Can Oracle deliver on its large AI-cloud commitments?
- The drop shows the risk in hype-driven gains: not every sky-high projection will automatically convert into realized profit.
- For Ellison: this is a reminder that enormous paper wealth — especially tied to one stock — can evaporate quickly with market corrections.
Final Thoughts
Oracle’s roller-coaster ride in 2025 highlights how AI, cloud infrastructure, and billionaire fortunes are deeply intertwined. One big earnings announcement and visionary growth narrative can send someone to the top of the billionaire charts — but sustaining that position is a much harder challenge.
Ellison’s brief reign over Musk was historic — but the 30% fall in Oracle’s stock value since then shows that market sentiment, not just fundamentals, drives these wild swings.
If you like, I can turn this into a news-type blog post with visuals, or make a deep analysis of Oracle’s future AI-cloud business — do you want me to do that? :