Michael Dell
Founder and CEO of Dell Technologies who started selling PCs from his college dorm
- Age
- 61 yrs
- Birthday in 110 days
- Works listed
- 2
- Book, Memoir
- Honours
- 0
- Awards & distinctions
- Profile views
- 1
- 0 followers
Michael Dell is an American businessman who founded Dell in 1984 in his University of Texas dorm room, selling computers directly to customers. He built it into one of the largest PC makers, took it private in 2013, bought EMC in 2016 and remains chairman and CEO of Dell Technologies.
Biography
Dorm-room start
Dell grew up in Houston and took apart his first computer, an Apple II, as a teenager. As a pre-medical student at the University of Texas at Austin he upgraded and sold PCs, and in 1984 founded PC’s Limited with $1,000.
Direct model
By selling directly to customers and building machines to order, Dell kept costs low. In 1992 he became the youngest CEO of a Fortune 500 company, and Dell became the world’s largest PC maker in the early 2000s.
Going private and EMC
In 2013 he took Dell private with Silver Lake, and in 2016 bought the storage company EMC for $67 billion, the largest technology deal at the time. Dell returned to the stock market in 2018.
Philanthropy
The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation funds education and health. In 2025 they pledged $6.25 billion to fund investment accounts for American children.
Timeline
-
1965
Born in Houston, Texas, United States
-
1984
Founds PC’s Limited
-
1988
Dell goes public
-
1992
Youngest Fortune 500 CEO
-
2004
Steps down as CEO
-
2007
Returns as CEO
-
2013
Takes Dell private
-
2016
Buys EMC
-
2018
Dell returns to public markets
Notable works
-
1999
Direct from Dell Book
-
2021
Play Nice But Win Memoir
Did you know?
-
1
He bought a minority share in the Las Vegas Raiders in 2026.
-
2
He started out by buying surplus computer parts.
-
3
He dropped out of university at 19.
Connections
Frequently asked
Who is Michael Dell?
Michael Dell is an American businessman who founded Dell in 1984 in his University of Texas dorm room, selling computers directly to customers. He built it into one of the largest PC makers, took it private in 2013, bought EMC in 2016 and remains chairman and CEO of Dell Technologies.
How old is Michael Dell?
Michael Dell is 61 years old, born on 23 February 1965 in Houston, Texas, United States.
Where is Michael Dell from?
Michael Dell was born in Houston, Texas, United States.
What is Michael Dell known for?
Michael Dell is best known for Founding Dell (1984); direct-to-customer PC sales; taking Dell private; buying EMC.
References
- Michael Dell — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Michael Dell — Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Official website. dell.com. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Michael Dell (Q218630) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Michael Dell”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 4 November 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Michael Dell.” TrackFame, last updated 5 November 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/michael-dell
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