CEO of the Week: Dell Technologies’ founder Michael Dell

Dell Technologies, Inc. formerly known as “PC’s Limited,” is a multinational technology company based in the United States that develops, designs, and produces a range of computer-related products as well as personal computers (PCs).

Established in 1984, Dell is a leading global computer brand and supplier of components. The company’s headquarters are located in Round Rock, Texas, in the United States.

The business introduced Turbo pc., its first computer, in 1985. Initially, marketing campaigns and mail-order catalogs were used to sell the company’s goods.

The business was started with the intention of manufacturing and selling specially designed PCs to end users.

Dell was able to offer premium computers at affordable costs by eschewing the costs related to the traditional market.

Dell prioritized customer service, sending technicians to fix computers and instituting a risk-free return policy.

The company quickly expanded and entered overseas markets as a result of the successful business plan.

The business went public as Dell Computer Corporation in 1988.

The brain behind making the company this successful is a 58-year old Michael Dell, Founder, CEO and Chairman of Dell Technologies Inc.

Who is Michael Dell?

1. Michael Dell was born in 1965 in Houston, Texas, United States to a Jewish family
2. In 1984, at age 19, he dropped out from the University of Texas to start his own business
3. He started his business with $1,000 as a start-up capital and earned a gross profit of $200,000 by selling upgrade kits for personal computers in 1988
4. In 1984, Michael Dell registered his company as ‘PC’s Limited’
5. In 1992, he became the youngest CEO of a company ranked in Fortune magazine’s list of the top 500 companies
6. In 1996, he launched the company’s first server ‘dell.com’ and reported about $1 million in sales per day from the website
7. Dell Inc. reached a world market share of 12.8%, surpassing Compaq to become the world’s largest PC maker in 2001
8. In 2004 he stepped down as CEO of the company, but remained as chairman of the board
9. The New York Times in 2014 reported that Michael Dell paid $100.5 million for Manhattan’s One57 penthouse, which was then a record for the most expensive home ever sold in the city
10. He was named as the “Entrepreneur of the Year” by Inc. magazine, “Top CEO in American Business” by Worth magazine and “CEO of the Year” by Financial World, Industry Week and Chief Executive magazines over the years
11. According to Forbes, as of 2024, Michael Dell’s Net worth is around $9,750 crores