Founder and CEO of Dell Technologies
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Michael Dell (Net worth $52.6B), an American businessman is the Chairman and CEO of Dell. Here is how he made his fortune by selling PCs.
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Michael Dell is an American entrepreneur and business magnate. He is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Dell Technologies, one of the world's largest technology companies. Michael Dell started the company in 1984, while still a student at the University of Texas at Austin. He built the company from the ground up, starting as a college student selling computer parts from his dorm room, to growing Dell Technologies into a multibillion-dollar enterprise.

He is widely recognized for his business acumen and ability to adapt to changing market conditions, as well as his philanthropic efforts. He has been widely recognized and honored for his business success and leadership.

Michael Dell - Biography

Name Michael Saul Dell Born 23 February 1965 Birthplace Houston, Texas, U.S. Age 57 Nationality American Education Herod Elementary School; Memorial High School Profession Entrepreneur Title Chairman and CEO of Dell Technologies Inc.; Chairman of VMware Net Worth $52.6 Bn (Jan 2023) Father Alexander Dell Mother Lorraine Charlotte Brother Adam Dell Marital Status Married Spouse Susan Lynn Lieberman Children 4

Michel Dell - Personal Life

Michel Dell - Education

Michel Dell - Early Life

Michel Dell - Professional Life

Michel Dell - Startup

Michel Dell - Dell Technologies

Michel Dell - Write-ups

Michel Dell - Awards

Michel Dell - Annexures

Michel Dell - Personal Life

Michael Dell was born to a Jewish family in 1965 in Houston, US. His father, Alexander Dell was an orthodontist and his mother, Lorraine Charlotte was a stockbroker. His parents wanted Michael to be a doctor and he took pre-med courses to please his parents. But, destiny wrote something desirable for him and he eventually became an entrepreneur. He married Susan Lieberman on October 28, 1989, and the couple currently resides in Austin, Texas with four of their children.

Michel Dell - Education

Michael Dell completed his primary education at Herod Elementary School. He later studied at Memorial High School. At eight, he applied to take a high school equivalency exam to enter business early. He studied pre-med at the University of Texas in 1983. He dropped out of the University at the age of 19.

Michel Dell - Early Life

At the age of 7, he bought his first calculator and came across an early teletype terminal in junior high. At age 12, he got a job as a dishwasher and was instantly promoted to maitre d' hotel.

During his early teens, he invested the money that he made through part-time jobs in stocks and precious metals. After playing with computers at Radio Shack, he got his first computer Apple II at the age of 15. He promptly disassembled his computer to see how it worked. While attending his high school, he sold subscriptions to the Houston Post in the summer.

Michel Dell - Professional Life

Michael focused on learning skills to target specific populations for newspaper subscriptions rather than making phone calls, and eventually earned $18,000. He then hired various employees and earned nearly $200,000 in his first year of business. He knew where he could excel and thus he dropped out of the University of Texas at age 19. He established a PC manufacturing company Dell Inc. and later founded MSD Capital L.P. to maintain his family investments.

Michel Dell - Startup

Michael Dell started selling upgrade kits for personal computers in his residential building. He then applied for a vendor license to stake on the state contracts of Texas.

In January 1984, Dell inclined towards his opinion of gaining more advantage by potential cost savings through manufacturing PCs than the indirect retail channel. The same year Michael registered his company as "PC's Limited".

In May 1984, Michael incorporated the firm as "Dell Computer Corporation" and relocated to a business center in North Austin. The capitalization cost of the venture was $1,000.

At age 27, he became the youngest CEO of a company ranked in the top 50 corporation list of Fortune magazine in 1992. Dell started selling computers over the web in 1996. The same year, Dell Inc. launched its first servers. Soon, the company reported $1 million per day in sales from dell.com.

Michel Dell - Dell Technologies

During the first quarter of 2001, Dell Inc. grossed a market share of 12.8% and became the world's largest PC maker. Over the last seven years, it was the first time that rankings were changed. At a time when competitors' sales were decreasing, Dell's combined shipments of desktops, notebooks, and servers grew 34.3% worldwide and 30.7% in the US.

Michael's 243.35 million shares of Dell.Inc stock was worth $3.5 billion, which gave him 12% ownership of the company in 2011. His remaining investments count to $10 billion and it is managed by his other company, MSD Capital. It was declared in 2013 that he had to bid to take Dell Inc. private for $24.4 billion in the biggest management buyout. Thus Dell Inc. officially became private in 2013. While it became public again in 2018.

Michel Dell - Write-ups

Michael Dell wrote a book in 1999 named, Direct from Dell: Strategies That Revolutionized an Industry. The book is an account of his early life, his company's establishment, growth, and faults from which he learned lessons. The book was published under HarperBusiness in collaboration with Catherine Fredman.

Michel Dell - Awards

At age 24, Michael Dell was declared the "Entrepreneur of the Year" by Inc. magazine.

Top CEO in American Business from Worth magazine

CEO of the Year from Financial World and Chief Executive magazines

The 1998 Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement

The 2013 Franklin Institute's Bower Award for Business Leadership

Michel Dell - Annexures

Michael Dell served as a member of the US President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. He serves on the Foundation Board of the World Economic Forum, and the executive committee of the US Business Council.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, in April 2020, Governor Greg Abbott called Dell to the Strike Force to Open Texas- a group "tasked with finding safe and effective ways to slowly reopen the state."

Conclusion

Michael Dell started Dell Technologies in 1984 while still a student at the University of Texas at Austin, and grew it into a multibillion-dollar enterprise. He is known for his innovative approach to business and his ability to adapt to changing market conditions. He is also a philanthropist, and his foundation has donated millions of dollars to education and healthcare initiatives.

FAQs

Who is Michael Dell?

Michael Dell is an American entrepreneur and business magnate. He is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Dell Technologies, one of the world's largest technology companies.

When did Michael Dell establish Dell?

Michael Dell founded Dell on February 1, 1984.

What is the Net worth of Michael Dell?

As of Jan 19, 2023, Michael Dell's Net worth is $52.6 billion.

Does Michael Dell own Dell?

Dell Technologies is a publicly traded company, so it is owned by its shareholders. The company's founder, Michael Dell, is the largest individual shareholder and serves as the company's CEO.