Michael Dell
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Michael Saul Dell (born February 23, 1965 in Houston, Texas) is a successful businessman. He attended the University of Texas at Austin intending to become a physician. He had his first encounter with a computer at the age of 15, when he broke down a brand new Apple II computer and rebuilt it, just to see if he could. While in university, he started a computer company called PCs Limited in his dormitory room.
Dell began the business manufacturing personal computers with some radical ideas, including maintaining no finished-goods inventories and practically no component inventories, building only to order, and selling and delivering the completed PC units direct to customers (direct sales). The company became successful enough that Dell dropped out of college at the age of 19 to run the business full-time. In 1987, PCs Limited changed its name to Dell Computer Corporation, and in 2003, Dell, Inc. The company became the most profitable PC manufacturer in the world, with sales of $35 billion and profits of $2 billion in 2002.
On March 4, 2004, he stepped down as CEO of Dell but stayed as Chairman of the Board, while Kevin Rollins, then President and COO, became President and CEO.
Accolades for Dell include: "Entrepreneur of the Year" from Inc. magazine; "Man of the Year" from PC Magazine; "Top CEO in American Business" from Worth Magazine; "CEO of the Year" from Financial World and Industry Week magazines.
In the 2005 publication of the Forbes 400, Dell was listed as the 4th richest man in the United States and the 18th richest in the world with a net worth of around $18 billion. Dell resides in Austin, Texas with his wife, Susan, and their four children.
