United StatesFounded it
Michael Dell
Michael Dell founded Dell Technologies in 1984 and is its chairman and CEO; most of his fortune is his roughly 41% stake in the company, with the rest managed by his family office.
- Forbes estimate
- $281B
- Forbes, 6 Oct 2026
- Forbes rank
- No. 5
- 14 Oct 2026
- Stake in Dell Technologies
- 40.9%
- Net worth, Bloomberg
- $268B
- Bloomberg, 9 Oct 2026
- Born
- 23 Feb 1965
- Houston, Texas, United States
- Education
- Left university without a degree
- Left the University of Texas at Austin
- Giving Pledge
- Not a signer
Where the fortune sits
Dell Technologies stock
Dell Technologies
computers and IT infrastructure, founded 1984
Of all common stock: 246,834,081 Class A shares (89.2% of Class A) and 18,840,608 Class C shares (5.8% of Class C)
DEF 14A (2026 proxy statement), 27 Apr 2026
Chairman and CEO
Other holdings
DFO Management (formerly MSD Capital)
Family investment office formed in 1998; invests in public and private equities, credit and real estate
BDT & MSD Partners
The advisory firm he backed merged with BDT & Co. in 2023, per Bloomberg
Where Michael stands among 73
Everyone on the site, grouped by their answer. Michael Dell is outlined.
How the fortune started
Founded it
Founded it 42
Inherited and grew it 12
Built it up 8
Inherited it 6
Through marriage 5
Industry
Technology
Technology 24
Finance 10
Several industries 9
Metals and mining 6
Retail 4
Fashion and beauty 4
Media 3
Food and drink 3
Shipping 3
Crypto 2
Oil, gas and chemicals 2
Healthcare 1
Casinos and resorts 1
Property and sports 1
Giving Pledge
Not a signer
Not a signer 61
Signed 11
Not stated 1
Education
Left university without a degree
Left university without a degree 6
Bachelor's degree 27
Graduate degree 24
No university 5
Not stated 11
Role today
Runs the company
Runs the company 32
Chair, board or owner 25
Founder, no executive role 8
No role 4
Retired 4
The person
- Born
- 23 Feb 1965Houston, Texas, United States
- Citizenship
- United States
- Lives in
- Austin, Texas, United States
- Education
- Left university without a degreeLeft the University of Texas at Austin
- Parents
- His father was an orthodontist and his mother a financial consultant
What they give
- Giving Pledge
- Not a signer
- Foundation
- Michael & Susan Dell FoundationEstablished in 1999 with his wife, Susan Dell
- Lifetime giving
- $10BMichael & Susan Dell Foundation, date not stated. Amount Michael and Susan Dell have committed to date, as the foundation reports it; a commitment, not money paid out. Includes the $6.25 billion pledged in 2025 for children's investment accounts
Role and record
- Role now
- Runs the companyChairman and CEO of Dell Technologies
- Successor
- None named
- Public office
- Member, President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), 2001
- Member, President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), 2026-
- Legal record
- 2010, US SECSettled SEC disclosure charges over Dell Inc.'s reporting of payments from Intel, without admitting or denying the allegations; agreed to pay a $4 million civil penalty.
