Larry Ellison has had one of the best years of his career, establishing himself as a key figure in the global technology industry.

Thanks to the impressive rally in Oracle's stock, the company's co-founder has increased his fortune by approximately $75 billion, making him the third richest man in the world, according to Forbes.

A historic rally on Wall Street

2024 marked Oracle's biggest stock growth since 1999, during the dot-com boom.

While the S&P 500 index rose 27%, Oracle shares soared 63%. This performance boosted Ellison's wealth to more than $217 billion, behind only Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.

At 80, Ellison continues to prove his relevance in an industry dominated by younger leaders. Yet far from being left behind, he has found renewed energy to lead Oracle into the future.

Oracle's growth is linked to its foray into the artificial intelligence (AI) market. The company has strengthened its cloud infrastructure and made its databases more accessible. Companies such as OpenAI, creator of ChatGPT, and Meta already use Oracle's technology for their operations.

Innovative startups are also betting on Oracle. For example, Genmo, an AI-based video generation company, opted for Oracle’s cloud to train models and produce content more efficiently. Its CEO, Paras Jain, highlighted that Oracle’s “bare metal” solutions offer superior performance compared to traditional options on the market.

Multicloud collaboration strategies

In 2023, Oracle took a major step by partnering with Microsoft, Google, and Amazon, allowing its databases to run on these companies’ cloud platforms.

This multicloud strategy seeks to expand its market share in database software, where it remains the leader with a 17% global share.

Larry Ellison has also pushed for collaboration with Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud, making its databases more accessible to large companies. In September, Oracle finally signed a deal with Amazon Web Services, putting years of rivalry behind it.

Oracle is focused on leading the growth of generative AI. At its latest meeting with analysts, Ellison highlighted that its cloud infrastructure is “faster and cheaper” than its competitors. Although the company missed analysts’ expectations in its latest earnings report, Ellison remains optimistic about the future.

The company expects revenue growth of 10% in fiscal year 2024, marking its second-best performance since 2011. This growth is due, in part, to agreements with companies such as OpenAI and innovative startups that trust Oracle's capabilities for their AI projects.

New opportunities in the health sector

Oracle is also looking to lead in healthcare following its $28.2 billion acquisition of Cerner in 2022.

The company is using AI to rewrite all of Cerner’s code, a strategy that promises to transform electronic health record systems.

Evercore analysts suggest the division could benefit from Ellison's connections to key figures in the U.S. government.

The legacy of a visionary leader

Larry Ellison not only seeks to lead technologically, but also to consolidate Oracle as one of the most important companies in the world.

With his direct style and ability to generate strategic alliances, Ellison continues to demonstrate that age is no impediment to innovation and leadership.

Oracle is ready to meet the challenges of the future, and Ellison is determined to leave an indelible legacy in the history of technology. His leadership and strategic vision continue to be an example for the industry.