Dell

Dell Technologies was founded in 1984 by Michael Dell in Austin, Texas, initially as PC's Limited — a direct-to-consumer personal computer business run from his University of Texas dormitory — before incorporating as Dell Computer Corporation in 1987.

The company generates approximately $88 billion in annual revenue, serving enterprise and government customers worldwide with servers, storage systems, networking equipment, and personal computers across its Infrastructure Solutions Group and Client Solutions Group.

Headquartered in Round Rock, Texas, Dell Technologies trades on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker DELL today.

Dell History

• 1984
  Michael Dell founds PC's Limited with $1,000 in his University of Texas dorm room, selling IBM-compatible PCs directly to customers and bypassing the retail markup that defined the industry at the time.
• 1988
  Dell Computer Corporation completes its IPO at $8.50 per share, raising $30 million and giving Michael Dell — then 23 — control of one of the fastest-growing companies in US history.
• 2004
  Dell briefly surpasses Hewlett-Packard to become the world's largest PC maker by shipments, a position built almost entirely on its direct-to-consumer build-to-order model and relentless operational cost management.
• 2013
  Michael Dell takes the company private in a $24.4 billion leveraged buyout alongside Silver Lake Partners, removing it from public markets to restructure without short-term earnings pressure as PC sales declined.
• 2016
  Dell acquires EMC Corporation for $67 billion — the largest technology acquisition in history at the time — creating Dell Technologies and establishing the company as a leader in enterprise storage and data infrastructure.

FAQs

• When did Dell come out?

  Dell was founded in 1984 by Michael Dell in Austin, Texas, as PC's Limited. It incorporated as Dell Computer Corporation in 1987 and went public in 1988. It has traded on the NYSE as DELL since 2018, after re-listing following a 2013 privatization.
• Who owns Dell?

  Michael Dell is Dell Technologies' largest shareholder with approximately 35–40% of shares. Silver Lake Partners holds a significant stake. The remainder is publicly traded on the NYSE under ticker DELL. No single outside entity holds a controlling position.
• Who made the Dell logo?

  The Dell logo — a blue italicized "Dell" wordmark with a tilted "E" — was designed by brand agency Siegel+Gale in the early 1990s. The tilted E was conceived by Michael Dell himself as a visual representation of "turning the world on its ear."
• Is Dell an American company?

  Yes. Dell Technologies is an American company founded in 1984 in Austin, Texas, and headquartered in Round Rock, Texas. It is incorporated in Delaware and listed on the New York Stock Exchange under DELL.