At 81 years old, Larry Ellison leads the AI wave and becomes the richest man in the world

September 10, 2025, marked an extraordinary milestone in global financial history. Larry Ellison, at age 81, officially became the world’s richest person, according to Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index. In a single day, his net worth increased by over $100 billion, surpassing Elon Musk, who had held that position for years. That day, Ellison’s fortune reached $393 billion, leaving Musk with $385 billion. What’s remarkable isn’t just the amount of money, but the timing: while many men of his generation are already retired, Ellison was experiencing one of the greatest wealth accumulations of his life.

From Orphaned Runaway to Tycoon: How Larry Ellison Built a Tech Empire

Larry Ellison was born in 1944 in the Bronx, New York, under circumstances that profoundly shaped his life. His biological mother, a 19-year-old unable to care for him, gave him to his aunt in Chicago at nine months old. He grew up in an adoptive family with financial struggles, where his father was a regular government employee.

Despite these modest beginnings, Ellison enrolled at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. However, after his adoptive mother died, he dropped out in his second year. He later attended the University of Chicago but again left after just one semester. These academic failures did not define his future; instead, he began wandering across the United States, working as a programmer in Chicago before heading to Berkeley, California, a hub of counterculture and emerging tech activity.

Ellison’s fate changed decisively in the early 1970s when he worked at Ampex Corporation, a tech company specializing in audiovisual storage. There, he participated in a revolutionary project: designing a database system for the CIA codenamed “Oracle.” This experience revealed the massive commercial potential of database technology.

In 1977, at age 32, Ellison co-founded Software Development Laboratories with Bob Miner and Ed Oates, investing an initial $2,000 ($1,200 of which he contributed). Building on his previous experience, they developed a universal commercial database system called Oracle. In 1986, the company went public on Nasdaq, becoming a star in the enterprise software market. For over four decades, Ellison led Oracle with near-omnipresent leadership, serving as president, CEO, and CTO. Even after a near-fatal surfing accident in 1992, his determination never waned.

The Late Bloom: How Oracle Reinvented Itself in the AI Era

What seemed like a story of gradual decline radically transformed in 2025. On September 10 of that year, Oracle announced securing several massive contracts, including a $300 billion, five-year partnership with OpenAI. The stock price surged over 40% in a single session—the biggest daily gain since 1992.

For years, Oracle had lagged behind Amazon AWS and Microsoft Azure in cloud computing competition. However, its strengths in database infrastructure and focus on enterprise clients allowed it to maintain a unique position. In summer 2025, the company underwent a radical transformation: laying off several thousand employees in traditional software and hardware divisions, while exponentially increasing investments in data centers and infrastructure for generative AI.

This strategic repositioning made Oracle one of the leading infrastructure providers in the AI boom. Notably, this late reinvention occurred under the leadership of an 81-year-old man, at a time when most of his peers have long since retired. The market responded enthusiastically, viewing Oracle as the “AI infrastructure surprise” after its transformation from an “old software maker” to a central player in today’s technological revolution.

The Family Empire: From Silicon Valley to Hollywood

Ellison’s wealth extends beyond himself; it has evolved into a multinational family empire. His son, David Ellison, recently acquired Paramount Global, the parent company of CBS and MTV, for $8 billion. Of that amount, $6 billion came from Ellison family financial backing, marking the official entry of this dynasty into the entertainment sector.

The result is an unprecedented power structure: the father controls technology and digital infrastructure from Silicon Valley, while his son manages one of Hollywood’s most influential media studios. Together, they have built an empire spanning data processing to global content creation.

Limitless Vitality: Larry Ellison’s Secret at 81

What surprises many observers is how Ellison maintains energy and decision-making ability that defy his age. His obsession with water and wind has been constant throughout his life. Although he nearly died surfing in 1992, it didn’t stop him; instead, he channeled that passion into competitive sailing. In 2013, the Oracle Team USA, sponsored by his company, made a legendary comeback in the America’s Cup, winning one of the most iconic victories in sailing history. Later, in 2018, he founded SailGP, a high-speed catamaran league now attracting prominent investors like actress Anne Hathaway and football star Kylian Mbappé.

Tennis is another passion, and he revitalized the Indian Wells tournament in California, widely regarded as the “fifth Grand Slam.” These are not mere hobbies: Ellison considers sports his secret to longevity. Former executives report that during the 1990s and 2000s, he dedicated several hours daily to rigorous exercise. His diet is austere: water and green tea, no sugary drinks, with strict control over his food intake. At 81, he continues to project an energy that experts describe as “twenty years younger than his peers.”

In his personal life, he married discreetly in 2024 with Jolin Zhu, a Chinese woman 47 years his junior. The news emerged through a donation document from the University of Michigan. This is his fifth marriage, reflecting a pattern of someone who, as some internet users joke, loves both waves and love: both remain irresistibly attractive to him.

Personal Philanthropy and Future Vision

In 2010, Ellison signed the “Giving Pledge,” committing to donate at least 95% of his fortune. Unlike Bill Gates or Warren Buffett, he rarely participates in collective philanthropic initiatives, preferring to maintain his characteristic independence. In an interview with the New York Times, he said, “I value my solitude and do not want to be influenced by external ideas.”

In 2016, he donated $200 million to the University of Southern California to establish an oncology research center. Recently, he announced that a significant portion of his wealth will go to the Ellison Institute of Technology, a joint initiative with Oxford University focused on medical research, low-cost agricultural systems, and clean, efficient energy development. On social media, he wrote: “We want to design a new generation of life-saving medicines, build sustainable agricultural systems, and develop clean energy for humanity.” His philanthropy reflects his nature: highly personal, independent, and aligned with his particular vision of the future.

The Legacy of a Tech Titan at 81

Larry Ellison, at 81, has demonstrated that age does not equate to decline in the worlds of business and innovation. Starting from nothing, he built Oracle from the ground up, navigated through multiple economic cycles, and now leads his company into the frontier of generative AI. His current position as the world’s richest man is less a final point than a recognition of a life of persistence, vision, and unparalleled adaptability.

The throne of the planet’s wealthiest magnate may change again in months or years, but for now, Ellison has shown the world that the old guard’s tech titans, despite their years, are far from being relegated to history. In an era where AI is rewriting all the rules, Larry Ellison’s legend continues to be written—chapter after chapter, wave after wave.