Michael Dell Net Worth

Michael Dell Net Worth

Michael Dell net worth – What is the net worth of Michael Dell? Michael Dell is an American billionaire businessman, investor, and philanthropist who has a net worth of $152 billion. He is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Dell Technologies, one of the world’s largest technology infrastructure companies. Known for starting his computer empire from a university dorm room with just $1,000, Dell revolutionized the PC industry with his direct-to-consumer sales model. Today, he is a dominant figure in the era of Artificial Intelligence and cloud computing, having successfully steered his company through the largest tech acquisition in history (EMC) and positioning it as a key player in the AI hardware boom.

What is Michael Dell’s Net Worth?

As of 2026, Michael Dell has an estimated net worth of US $152 billion. His wealth is primarily derived from his massive ownership stake (approximately 50%) in Dell Technologies, which has seen explosive growth due to the demand for AI-optimized servers and storage. Additionally, he manages a vast private investment portfolio through his family office, DFO Management (formerly MSD Capital). This firm holds billions in diverse assets, including luxury real estate (such as the Four Seasons Maui), equities in companies like Dine Brands and PVH Corp, and liquid corporate credit.

Net Worth Comparison with Other Tech Billionaires

Billionaire Estimated Net Worth
Michael Dell $152 Billion
Elon Musk $482 Billion
Jeff Bezos $245 Billion
Larry Ellison $253 Billion
Mark Zuckerberg $222 Billion
Bill Gates $152 Billion
Jensen Huang $154 Billion

Michael Dell Net Worth Growth Timeline

Year Net Worth
2018 $22.7 Billion
2020 $27.5 Billion
2022 $55.1 Billion
2024 $120.0 Billion
2026 **$152.0 Billion**

Who is Michael Dell?

Michael Saul Dell is a technology visionary born on February 23, 1965, in Houston, Texas. He is widely recognized as the youngest CEO to ever head a Fortune 500 company (at age 27). Unlike many tech founders who were forced out of their own companies, Dell has remained at the helm for nearly four decades, navigating the shift from PCs to enterprise servers, cloud storage, and now Artificial Intelligence. He is also a significant philanthropist, having donated billions through the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation to support education and health initiatives for children living in urban poverty.

Michael Dell Biography

Field Details
Full Name Michael Saul Dell
Nickname The PC King
Date of Birth February 23, 1965
Age 61 years
Birthplace Houston, Texas, U.S.
Nationality American
Profession Businessman, Investor
Years Active 1984–present
Net Worth $152 billion
Source of Wealth Dell Technologies, DFO Management
Education University of Texas at Austin (Dropout)
Marital Status Married
Spouse Susan Lieberman (m. 1989)
Children Zachary, Kira, Alexa, Juliette
Parents Alexander Dell, Lorraine Charlotte

Early Life and Education

Michael Dell was born to a Jewish family in Houston, Texas. His father was an orthodontist and his mother was a stockbroker, instilling in him a blend of analytical and financial curiosity. From a young age, he was fascinated by gadgets; at 15, he famously bought one of the first Apple II computers and immediately disassembled it to see how it worked.

He attended Memorial High School in Houston, where he exhibited an early knack for business. He sold subscriptions for the Houston Post, earning $18,000 in one summer by targeting newlyweds and new homeowners—an income that allowed him to buy a BMW at age 16. He enrolled at the University of Texas at Austin as a pre-med student to please his parents but spent his spare time upgrading and selling computers from Room 2713 of the Dobie Center dorm.

Career

In 1984, at age 19, Dell registered his company as PC’s Limited. His revolutionary idea was to sell computers directly to consumers, bypassing the middleman and allowing for custom configurations. This lowered costs and improved customer satisfaction. After his freshman year, he dropped out of college to run the business full-time, fueled by $1,000 in startup capital from his family.

The company was renamed Dell Computer Corporation in 1987 and went public in 1988. By 1992, Dell was the youngest CEO of a Fortune 500 company. He led the company through the dot-com boom and later, facing a shifting market, took the company private in 2013 in a $24.4 billion deal to restructure away from the public eye.

In 2016, he orchestrated the largest technology acquisition in history, buying EMC Corporation for $67 billion. This massive gamble paid off, transforming Dell from a PC maker into an enterprise infrastructure giant. The company returned to the public markets in 2018. In the 2020s, Dell positioned his company as a critical partner for AI development, providing the massive server “factories” needed by companies like xAI and Nvidia, which propelled his net worth to new heights.

Personal Life

Michael Dell has been married to Susan Lieberman since 1989. They have four children: Zachary, Kira, Alexa, and Juliette. The family resides primarily in Austin, Texas, in a massive hilltop estate known locally as “The Castle” due to its high walls and heavy security.

Dell is also a major property owner in Hawaii. He owns the “Raptor Residence” in the Big Island’s Kukio development, a 18,500-square-foot compound. Through his investment firm, he also owns the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea and the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai.

Favorite Things

Category Favorite
City Austin, Texas
Gadget Apple II (his first computer)
Hobby Cycling, Horse breeding
Vacation Spot Kona, Hawaii
Business Philosophy “Play nice but win.”
Book The hard thing about hard things by Ben Horowitz

50 Unknown Facts about Michael Dell

  1. He started his business with just $1,000 in seed money.

  2. He made $18,000 selling newspapers in high school, more than his economics teacher’s annual salary.

  3. He bought his first calculator at age seven.

  4. He applied for a vendor license to bid on state contracts while still in college.

  5. He was the youngest CEO to lead a Fortune 500 company (age 27).

  6. He took his company private in 2013 to save it, then public again in 2018.

  7. He owns the Magnum Photos collection, one of the most important archives in photography.

  8. He owns the Four Seasons Resort Maui, where the show The White Lotus (Season 1) was filmed.

  9. He is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Foundation Board.

  10. He has written two books: Direct from Dell and Play Nice But Win.

  11. He was famously told by a teacher that he “wouldn’t go anywhere in life.”

  12. He disassembled an Apple II at age 15 just to see how it worked.

  13. He met his wife Susan on a blind date.

  14. His brother, Adam Dell, is a venture capitalist.

  15. He owns the air rights above Grand Central Terminal in New York City.

  16. He is a major donor to the University of Texas at Austin (Dell Medical School).

  17. He donated $1 billion to his foundation in a single transfer.

  18. He is an avid cyclist.

  19. He owns a ranch in Texas where he breeds Arabian horses.

  20. He has served as the United Nations Foundation’s first Global Advocate for Entrepreneurship.

  21. His investment firm, DFO Management, owns stake in Dine Brands (Applebee’s and IHOP).

  22. He successfully fought off activist investor Carl Icahn to take Dell private.

  23. He considers Andy Grove (Intel) one of his mentors.

  24. He has a net worth larger than the GDP of Morocco.

  25. He employs over 130,000 people worldwide.

  26. He once sold PC upgrade kits from his dorm room bathtub.

  27. He is the longest-tenured founder-CEO in the tech industry.

  28. He has a 33,000-square-foot home in Austin dubbed “The Castle.”

  29. He owns a collection of rare historic flags.

  30. He was 19 when he dropped out of college.

  31. He pivoted Dell to become an “AI Factory” builder in 2024.

  32. He is friends with Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff.

  33. He paid $100 million for a penthouse in New York’s One57 tower (which he later sold).

  34. He owns a significant private art collection.

  35. He rarely wears a tie.

  36. He believes that “curiosity is the most important trait” for an entrepreneur.

  37. He personally owns about 50% of Dell Technologies.

  38. He has a security detail that rivals heads of state.

  39. He donated $36 million to Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.

  40. He has never sold the majority of his company shares, unlike many other tech founders.

  41. He focused on “margin” over “market share” in the late 2000s, a controversial move.

  42. He is a Republican donor but focuses on bipartisan issues like education.

  43. He built the Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin.

  44. He owns a stake in the San Antonio Spurs (via investment partners).

  45. He is known for his calm, almost flat-line demeanor in crises.

  46. He still keeps the first dollar he ever earned.

  47. He uses Twitter (X) frequently to engage with tech trends.

  48. He believes the PC is the “engine of productivity” and will never die.

  49. He partnered with Nvidia’s Jensen Huang to build the “Dell AI Factory.”

  50. He plans to donate the majority of his wealth to charity during his lifetime.

Frequently Asked Questions

How old is Michael Dell?

Michael Dell is 61 years old (as of early 2026).

Where does Michael Dell live?

He lives in Austin, Texas, in a residence known as “The Castle,” and frequently spends time at his home in Kona, Hawaii.

Is Michael Dell the richest man in the world?

No, he is currently ranked around the 9th or 10th richest, with a fortune of $152 billion.

How much is Michael Dell worth?

His estimated net worth is $152 billion.

What company does Michael Dell own?

He owns and runs Dell Technologies. He also runs a family office called DFO Management (formerly MSD Capital).

Did Michael Dell finish college?

No, he dropped out of the University of Texas at Austin after his freshman year to pursue his business full-time.

Who is Michael Dell’s wife?

He has been married to Susan Lieberman Dell since 1989. She is a co-founder of their foundation and a competitive athlete.

Does Michael Dell own hotels?

Yes, through his investment firm, he owns the Four Seasons Resort Maui and the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai in Hawaii.

Why did Michael Dell take his company private?

He took Dell private in 2013 to restructure the business away from the quarterly scrutiny of Wall Street, allowing him to pivot from PCs to enterprise software and cloud infrastructure.

Does Michael Dell own VMware?

Dell Technologies spun off its stake in VMware in 2021, but Michael Dell personally retained a massive stake and served as Chairman until its acquisition by Broadcom.

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