Guest

Michael Dell

Michael Dell is the founder and CEO of Dell Technologies, the computer company he started as a college freshman in 1984.

Circuit updated November 5, 2026

Notable quotes

“Well, I always say we, because that makes it sound like there's more of us. But when I started, we was just me.”
Michael Dell · How I Built This with Guy Raz
“You know, it was like going cold turkey or something. It just, it lasted about 10 days.”
Michael Dell · How I Built This with Guy Raz
“I was doing about $50,000 to $80,000 a month in business when I was in my dorm room.”
Michael Dell · How I Built This with Guy Raz
“I advertised in the local newspaper. I bid on state contracts.”
Michael Dell · How I Built This with Guy Raz

All coverage

Michael Dell says his dorm-room computer business was doing $50,000 to $80,000 a month

The Dell origin story is not just a kid tinkering with PCs, it is an 18-year-old bidding on state contracts between classes.