Jewish Oracle CEO Larry Ellison briefly tops list as world’s richest man
He was the first Jew to top Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index
Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison speaks during a news conference with U.S. President Donald Trump in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on January 21, 2025 in Washington, DC. Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
(JTA) — The world’s richest Jew, Oracle Corp. chief technology officer Larry Ellison, briefly surpassed Tesla CEO Elon Musk Wednesday as the richest man in the world.
Ellison’s elevation following a surge in Oracle stock marked the first time that a Jewish billionaire topped Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index. After a better-than-expected earnings report, his estimated wealth rose by $89 billion in the largest one-day increase ever recorded, but by the end of the day, Musk, who has long held the top spot, regained his top ranking by $1 billion.
Ellison, 81, has long consistently edged out Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg as the wealthiest Jew in the world. He is the largest shareholder the software company that he cofounded in 1977.
Ellison was raised in a Reform Jewish home by his adoptive parents, and famously refused to have a bar mitzvah because Hebrew school conflicted with his baseball practice. He has also been a major donor to the Friends of the Israeli Defense Forces.
In 2019, Ellison also donated to an excavation project in east Jerusalem that received criticism from Palestinians as well as Israeli peace activists. Two years later, Ellison reportedly offered Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a post on the board of directors of the company.
Ellison is currently worth $383.2 billion, compared to Musk’s $384.2 billion, according to Bloomberg.
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover. All donations are being matched by the Forward Board - up to $100,000.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
