Oracle software company co-founder Larry Ellison briefly displaced Elon Musk from his position as the world's richest person.
the surge in Oracle's stock value that day sent Ellison's wealth soaring to US$393 billion, surpassing Musk's wealth of US$384 billion.
However, Musk returned to his original position at the close of trading.
Larry Ellison is not as popular as Elon Musk, but he is considered to have great influence in Silicon Valley and recently in United States politics.
Known for his lavish lifestyle, Ellison owns a yacht, a private jet, and almost the entire island of Lanai in Hawaii.
The 81-year-old billionaire amassed his fortune from software development ventures since the 1970s.
He founded Oracle after landing a two-year contract to build a database for the CIA according to the Academy of Achievement.
Oracle then grew into a technology giant that makes software for the world's largest companies.
The trend of adopting artificial intelligence is benefiting the company, whose business now includes cloud computing, thanks to its partnerships with companies like OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT.
In an interview with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair in February 2025, Ellison called artificial intelligence far greater than the industrial revolution, electricity, and anything that came before it.
Ellison led Oracle as CEO for 37 years before moving to chief technology officer in 2014.
He still serves as chairman of the board of directors and controls more than 40 percent of Oracle, whose headquarters were moved from Silicon Valley to Texas in 2020.
