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Mark Zuckerberg Surpasses Larry Ellison to Become the Third Richest Person

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

January 7, 2025

Mark Zuckerberg has officially surpassed Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison to claim the title of the third richest person in the world, according to Forbes’ real-time billionaires list.

Key Insights

Zuckerberg’s fortune saw an impressive increase of over 4%, reaching $217.7 billion after Monday’s stock market close, while Ellison’s wealth dipped slightly by 0.3%, totaling $209 billion. This shift in rankings was closely tied to the performance of their respective companies’ stocks: Meta’s share price rose by approximately 4% to $630.20, while Oracle’s stock dropped by 0.3% to $165.78.

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On Friday, January 3, Zuckerberg and Ellison briefly swapped positions, but by the end of the day, Ellison held the higher rank. Despite this, Zuckerberg’s rise marks a significant shift in the upper echelons of the billionaire rankings.

Elon Musk remains the wealthiest person globally with $425.2 billion, followed by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos with $241 billion.

A Changing Fortune for Ellison

Just a couple of months ago, Larry Ellison’s wealth topped $228 billion, tying him with Bezos for second place. However, in early December, Oracle’s stock suffered a major setback after a financial report revealed disappointing results, causing Ellison’s fortune to dip by $15 billion. Ellison, who owns approximately 40% of Oracle, serves as the company’s chairman, chief technology officer, and co-founder.

In contrast, Zuckerberg, who owns about 13% of Meta, continues to serve as the company’s CEO and chairman.

Political Winds and Tech Fortunes

In the wake of Donald Trump’s victory over Kamala Harris in the November election, the fortunes of several tech leaders have surged. Ellison saw a $12 billion boost in the weeks following the election, while Bezos gained $7 billion. Musk saw the most substantial increase, with his wealth rising by nearly $21 billion in the immediate aftermath.

Meta’s Strategic Moves

On Monday, Meta made waves by announcing that UFC President Dana White will join its board of directors. Zuckerberg shared the news on Facebook, alongside the additions of Exor CEO John Elkann and former Microsoft executive Charlie Thornhurst. Zuckerberg expressed confidence in the company’s future, citing vast opportunities in artificial intelligence, wearables, and the evolution of social media. With these new board members, Meta aims to chart a bold course forward in these rapidly growing sectors.

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Only 1% Of Cyprus Farms Use Precision Farming Technologies

Cyprus remains one of the European Union’s least digitised agricultural economies, with just 1% of farms using precision farming technologies in 2023, according to Eurostat.

The findings come as the EU continues to encourage the adoption of digital tools aimed at improving agricultural productivity, efficiency and sustainability.

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Internet Access Expands, But Digital Uptake Lags

Internet access has improved across the bloc, although adoption remains uneven. Eurostat found that 43% of EU farms had internet access in 2023, with northern and central European countries leading the way.

Denmark, Germany, Slovakia, Latvia, the Czech Republic and Austria all reported internet access rates above 90%.

Greater connectivity, however, has not translated into widespread digital adoption. Farm management information systems, which help farmers manage day-to-day operations, were used by only about 11% of EU farms. France was a notable exception, with around 60% of farms using the technology.

Precision Farming Concentrated In Larger Operations

Robotics adoption also remained relatively limited, with only about 7% of EU farms using robotic technologies. Overall, around 18% of farms with utilised agricultural area employed at least one precision farming technology or practice in 2023.

These included robotics for plant protection, band spraying, variable-rate application, precision crop monitoring and soil analysis. Despite representing fewer than one in five farms, these holdings accounted for around 44% of the EU’s utilised agricultural area.

The figures suggest that precision farming remains concentrated among larger agricultural businesses, where investment in digital technologies is typically easier to support.

Cyprus Lags Behind EU Leaders

Luxembourg, Finland and Estonia recorded the highest shares of utilised agricultural area managed by farms using precision farming technologies, each exceeding 75%.

At the other end of the ranking, Cyprus recorded just 1%, while Greece and Romania reported between 10% and 15%. The results indicate that Cyprus remains at an early stage of digital adoption in agriculture, even as precision farming becomes more widespread across parts of the European Union.