Oracle Founder Ellison Falls From Second to Eighth Richest in Two Months

16 August 2026 · Source balance: Centre

Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison has experienced a dramatic $104 billion wealth decline in just two months, dropping from the world's second-richest person in early June to eighth place by mid-August 2026. His net worth is now estimated at $192.6 billion, down from over $300 billion at its peak. The collapse stems primarily from a steep decline in Oracle stock, which has fallen roughly 54 percent since hitting a high of $250 per share on June 1st. Investor concerns center on Oracle's massive spending commitment to AI infrastructure—the company is pouring $55.7 billion into capital expenditures annually and plans to raise an additional $40 billion in debt and equity financing. While Oracle's cloud infrastructure revenue has surged 93 percent and the company reported a $638 billion backlog of orders, Wall Street has grown concerned about whether such heavy spending can be sustained and whether revenues will materialize quickly enough to service the mounting debt. This represents one of the sharpest wealth losses for any billionaire this year, highlighting the extreme volatility in tech sector valuations and the risks tied to aggressive AI infrastructure investments.