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3 hours ago
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ARTICLE AD BOX
Elon Musk has once again reclaimed his title as the world’s richest person, briefly losing the spot to Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison earlier this week. The dramatic change occurred after Oracle’s stock surged on strong earnings and a bullish forecast fueled by growing demand for AI infrastructure services.
Ellison’s net worth temporarily skyrocketed, with Bloomberg reporting a single-day increase of up to $101 billion. However, by the close of trading, Musk had edged ahead, regaining the top position with a net worth of $384.2 billion, demonstrating the volatility and high stakes of billionaire fortunes in today’s tech-driven economy.
Elon Musk’s return to the top within hours
By the end of trading, Musk reclaimed the throne, surpassing Ellison by $1 billion.
Musk’s net worth currently stands at $384.2 billion, driven largely by his stakes in Tesla and SpaceX. Tesla shares have increased 56% over the past year, despite a vehicle sales slump and the delayed rollout of the robo-taxi program. SpaceX, now valued at $400 billion, contributed significantly to Musk’s wealth, alongside his growing holdings in xAI, the AI startup he merged with X (formerly Twitter).
Musk’s ability to maintain the top spot demonstrates the resilience of his diversified portfolio and investor confidence in his ventures.
Billion-dollar ventures driving Musk’s wealth
Musk’s fortune is anchored in several high-profile companies:
- Tesla: His largest publicly listed asset, benefiting from stock gains despite a 13% decline in first-half 2025 vehicle sales.
- SpaceX: Privately valued at $400 billion, with Starlink contributing $9.3 billion in revenue last year.
- xAI and X: The merger of his AI startup xAI with X has created an estimated $60 billion in combined wealth, with ambitions to exceed $200 billion in future funding rounds.
- Other ventures: Neuralink and the Boring Company remain speculative but continue to attract attention from investors.
Musk’s portfolio demonstrates how tech innovation and strategic market moves can drive billionaire fortunes, even amid political and commercial turbulence.
How Larry Ellison surged ahead
Larry Ellison momentarily overtook Musk due to a sharp jump in Oracle’s stock. Following the company’s earnings report, Oracle shares surged as much as 43%, closing 36% higher—their biggest single-day gain since 1992.
The company’s market value increased by approximately $244 billion, moving Oracle from the 13th- to 10th-most valuable company in the S&P 500. Ellison, as the largest individual shareholder, saw his net worth rise to $383.2 billion, briefly surpassing Musk.
Analysts attributed the surge to heightened AI demand and strong corporate earnings, highlighting the enormous impact of market sentiment on billionaire rankings.
The billionaire shake-up: Key takeaways
The rapid exchange of the top spot between Musk and Ellison highlights the volatility in the world’s wealthiest rankings. Single-day stock surges can temporarily shift billionaire standings by tens of billions of dollars. For Musk, the episode underscores both the power of his diversified holdings and the influence of investor sentiment on personal fortunes. While Ellison’s rise was spectacular, Musk’s long-term strategy and stake in high-growth ventures allowed him to quickly reclaim his position as the world’s richest person, cementing his dominance in the global tech economy.
English (US) ·