Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has slipped to third place on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, in a significant shift in the global wealth ranking. Zuckerberg has been overtaken by Larry Ellison, the chairman and chief technology officer of Oracle Corporation. The 80-year-old Ellison has now become the world’s second-richest person for the first time, following a sharp surge in Oracle’s shares.
According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index updated on July 16, 2025, Ellison’s net worth now stands at $251.2 billion, just ahead of Zuckerberg’s $251 billion. The change was driven by a 5.7% jump in Oracle shares on July 15, following reports that the US government would ease semiconductor export restrictions to China, reported Bloomberg. This move would benefit companies like Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices. As a result, Ellison’s wealth jumped by $4.71 billion in a single day, while Zuckerberg saw his net worth decline by $3.59 billion.
Oracle has been a major beneficiary of the AI investment wave sweeping global markets. Since the release of ChatGPT in late 2022, the company’s share price has nearly tripled, with gains of over 90% since April 2025, Bloomberg reported.
Ellison, who holds more than 80% of his wealth in Oracle shares and options, has already signalled where he intends to deploy his growing fortune. In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on July 15, he announced plans to revise his commitment to the Giving Pledge, stating that he would focus more resources on the Ellison Institute of Technology. The institute, which partners with the University of Oxford, works on innovations in health, agriculture, clean energy and artificial intelligence.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk retains his top position on the billionaire list, with a fortune of $357.8 billion. Amazon’s Jeff Bezos is in fourth place, followed by Steve Ballmer, Larry Page, Bernard Arnault, Sergey Brin, Jensen Huang and Warren Buffett rounding out the top 10.
Top 10 Richest People In The World As Of July 16
Elon Musk: $358B
Larry Ellison: $251B
Mark Zuckerberg: $251B
Jeff Bezos: $247B
Steve Ballmer: $174B
Larry Page: $165B
Bernard Arnault: $156B
Sergey Brin: $154B
Jensen Huang: $149B
Warren Buffett: $141B
The Bloomberg Billionaires Index offers a daily snapshot of the world’s wealthiest people, with valuations updated at the close of each trading day in New York.
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