Overview:
In last month’s Presence News, we saw early signs that Jeff Bezos was losing steam: Arch XP offered no reply, and The Washington Post’s content and newsletter approach increasingly disappointed readers. Now, with Forbes’ latest billionaire rankings in, Bezos has dropped to 4th place—displaced by Larry Ellison, whose AI-cloud-powered Oracle has surged. We examine what’s fueling Ellison’s rise, how Bezos’ perceived decline factors in, and what’s unfolding across the current top ten richest individuals.
1. Bezos’ Downward Drift
Presence News flagged two key warning signs last month:
- Unanswered Arc XP inquiry: A 14-day radio silence on a major proposal—or “no call, no email back”—from Bezos’ team.
- Washington Post missteps: Lacking creative content, leaning heavily on repetitive newsletter blasts (some readers report multiple emails daily), allegedly even spamming inboxes presswatchers.org+1washingtonpost.com+1investopedia.com+12forbes.com.au+12economictimes.indiatimes.com+12pickingsplinters.substack.com+1washingtonpost.com+1.
These aren’t minor — they suggest disengagement from innovation and disengagement from audience trust. The Post saw 75,000+ cancellations shortly after editorial shifts under Bezos .
2. The Latest Top 10
According to Forbes’ June 2025 update:
- Elon Musk
- Larry Ellison
- Mark Zuckerberg
- Jeff Bezos
- Warren Buffett
- Steve Ballmer
- Bernard Arnault & family
- Larry Page
- Sergey Brin
- Jensen Huang en.wikipedia.org+2investopedia.com+2forbes.com.au+2forbes.com+1forbes.com.au+1
3. Why Ellison Surged
Larry Ellison’s net worth skyrocketed by $26–40 billion in mid-June—pushing him into the #2 spot forbes.com.au+7investopedia.com+7theregister.com+7. That surge is tied directly to Oracle’s explosive growth in enterprise AI and cloud infrastructure shares, including a blockbuster earnings report. He even outpaced Meta’s Zuckerberg and Amazon’s Bezos with this short-term rally theregister.com+2investopedia.com+2timesofindia.indiatimes.com+2.
The “Ellison Effect”:
- Oracle’s new AI/data infrastructure is aligning with global enterprise demand.
- Investor confidence soared after beating expectations and raising growth forecasts—Oracle stock spiked 13% mihsislander.org+13de.wikipedia.org+13forbes.com.au+13investopedia.com+1economictimes.indiatimes.com+1.
4. Bezos Falls to 4th:
Jeff’s rank drop reflects both his relative static net worth and massive gains by others—Ellison (+$40B), Zuckerberg, Musk.
Bezos’ latest estimated worth: ~$215 B forbes forbes.com+2forbes.com+2theregister.com+2.
It’s not that Bezos lost money—he just hasn’t seen explosive stock-driven growth like Ellison. Plus, concerns linger over Amazon’s maturity, Blue Origin cash burn, and The Washington Post’s flagging performance.
5. What This Means
- AI cloud boom reshaping wealth: Ellison was perceived as “late to cloud,” but Oracle’s pivot is paying off.
- First-mover edge: Ellison now owns part of AI infrastructure, reinforcing Oracle’s strategic relevance.
- Bezos needs momentum: Lackluster Post performance and silent response signals risk of stagnating relevance, not just wealth.
Comparison Snapshot
| Name | Net Worth (approx.) | Rank Now | Recent Shift |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elon Musk | ~$407 B | 1 | Continues to lead via Tesla/SpaceX strength |
| Larry Ellison | ~$243 B | 2 | Rally & AI/cloud boom propelled rise |
| Mark Zuckerberg | ~$239 B | 3 | Steady Meta/shareholder value growth |
| Jeff Bezos | ~$215 B | 4 | Held firm but overtaken by surging peers |
