Oracle CEO Safra Catz Surpasses Bezos, Dell With $1.8 Billion Stock Sale in Q2

Oracle CEO Safra Catz sold over $1.8 billion in stock options in Q2, surpassing Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' $737 million sale. Catz's total of $2.5 billion makes her the top insider seller of the year so far, boosting her net worth to $4 billion. Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell was the second-largest insider seller, with $1.2 billion in sales. Insider selling was down from the same period last year, with only Catz and Dell selling shares worth over $1 billion.

Oracle Corporation's CEO, Safra Catz, sold over $1.8 billion in stock options during the second quarter of 2025, surpassing Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' $737 million sale. This makes Catz the top insider seller of the year so far, with a total of $2.5 billion in stock sales, according to data from Washington Service [2]. The sale boosted her net worth to $4 billion.

Michael Dell, CEO of Dell Technologies, was the second-largest insider seller, with $1.2 billion in sales during the same period. Insider selling was down from the same period last year, with only Catz and Dell selling shares worth over $1 billion. This trend reflects a broader market shift, as the tech sector rebounded from early downturns caused by President Trump's tariff announcements and saw renewed interest [2].

The decline in insider selling is attributed to several factors, including a pause in tariff proposals and the tech sector's recovery. The market's rebound led to new highs by the end of June, when Catz unloaded her shares as part of a predetermined trading plan [2]. Despite the market's recovery, insider selling was down from the same period a year ago, with roughly 6,000 insiders selling about $36 billion of shares compared to almost 9,000 insiders selling $62 billion in the second quarter of 2024 [2].

Catz's stock sales were part of a performance plan, where she exercised and sold 8.7 million shares, pulling down more than $1.8 billion. She regularly receives and exercises stock options, while maintaining a small holding of 1.1 million Oracle shares. Bezos, on the other hand, sold 3.3 million Amazon shares worth $736.7 million, coinciding with his wedding festivities. The second quarter started on a turbulent note after President Trump’s April 2 “Liberation Day” tariff announcement spawned an early downturn. Pauses in the tariff proposals, along with renewed interest in the tech sector, pushed the stock market back to new highs by the end of June [2].

Even with today's decline, Oracle shares are up roughly 40% this year, reflecting the company's strong performance and the continued adoption of its cloud-computing services by the U.S. government. The General Services Administration (GSA) announced a landmark agreement that gives government agencies a 75% discount on Oracle's License-based technology, substantial base discounts, and access to advanced data management technology through November 2025 [1].

References:
[1] https://www.investopedia.com/oracle-stock-slips-as-firm-gives-big-services-discount-to-us-government-11767387
[2] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-13/oracle-ceo-tops-bezos-dell-with-1-8-billion-stock-sale-last-quarter