Bill Gates Overtaken By Larry Ellison In Billionaire Race Amid AI Boom

The surge in artificial intelligence (AI) has not only propelled Oracle Corp.'s ORCL stock to record highs but also boosted the net worth of its founder, Larry Ellison, to unprecedented levels. Ellison, 78, has now surpassed Microsoft Corp. founder Bill Gates to become the world's fourth-richest person.

What Happened

On Monday, buoyed by the optimism around AI, Oracle's stock and Larry Ellison's net worth reached record highs. Ellison’s net worth has now risen to $129.8 billion, surpassing Bill Gates’ net worth of $129.1 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. This is the first time Ellison has ranked higher than fifth on the list.

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Oracle's stock, which has climbed 42% this year, reached a record high of $116.43 on Monday. This surge is largely attributed to investor interest in AI and a broader tech rally. Wolfe Research upgraded Oracle to outperform on Monday, citing Oracle's plans to develop its own partnership with startup Cohere to challenge the alliance between Microsoft Corp. and OpenAI.

Why It Matters:

The rise in Ellison’s wealth is a testament to Oracle’s strong performance, particularly in the realm of AI. As previously reported by Benzinga, Oracle has been touting its role in Nvidia’s AI development, which has contributed to its stock’s upward trajectory.

Oracle’s strong top-line and bottom-line growth, led by increased Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) adoption and acceleration in AI, have been key drivers of its stock’s performance. As Benzinga reported, Wolfe Research analyst Alex Zukin expects Cloud Revenues’ OCI to grow significantly in the coming years, with Oracle’s market share predicted to double to 5% from 2% by 2025.

Furthermore, Oracle’s strong Q4 FY23 results and above-consensus Q1 FY24 guidance have also contributed to the bullish sentiment around the stock. This positive outlook is reflected in Ellison’s rising net worth and Oracle’s strong stock performance.

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