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International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
Technology
Akshay Puri

Larry Ellison's AI Bet Made Him Richer Than Musk: Then Came Oracle's $129.5B Debt Problem

Ellison's strategy relies on demand: Oracle's AI contracts and prepayments boost future revenue, but the company risks spending before the returns arrive. (Credit: Unsplash)

Larry Ellison knows how quickly fortunes can change. In September 2025, the Oracle co-founder briefly overtook Elon Musk as the world's richest person after Oracle shares surged. His fortune jumped by more than $100 billion in a single day. The reversal was just as dramatic.

By July 2026, Forbes ranked Ellison as the world's eighth-richest person after Oracle shares fell sharply. His fortune had dropped by about $125 billion from its June peak, when he briefly ranked No. 2 behind Musk.

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