When you hear the name Dell, your mind likely jumps straight to Michael Dell, the tech titan who started a computer company in his college dorm room. But standing right alongside him is Susan Dell, a formidable philanthropist, entrepreneur, and partner whose influence and contributions have carved out a massive legacy of their own. As of 2025, the couple’s joint financial and philanthropic moves are making history once again, not just for the staggering numbers involved but for the ambitious vision behind them. To talk about Susan Dell’s net worth is to discuss a shared fortune, one of the largest in the world, which she actively stewards to tackle some of society’s biggest challenges.
The scale of that stewardship hit a new peak on December 2, 2025, when Michael and Susan Dell announced a philanthropic pledge so large it defies easy comprehension: $6.25 billion. This isn’t a donation to a museum or a university campus; it’s a direct investment into the futures of an estimated 25 million American children. The gift is designed to turbocharge a new government initiative often called “Trump Accounts,” which provides investment accounts for kids.
While the federal program seeds $1,000 for children born between 2025 and 2028, the Dells’ billions will add $250 to the accounts of children aged 10 and under who missed that birthdate cutoff, focusing on families in ZIP codes with a median income of $150,000 or less. The goal is to build a financial foundation that grows over time, allowing a young adult at 18 to use the money for education, a first home, or to start a business.
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A Landmark Donation and Its Direct Impact
This $6.25 billion pledge is a game-changer in the world of philanthropy. To put it in perspective, the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, which they founded in 1999, has committed nearly $3 billion in total grants over its entire 26-year history. This single new commitment more than doubles that entire lifetime of giving. The structure is also innovative. Instead of creating a new, complicated system, the Dells are plugging into the existing “Trump Accounts” framework, a move they see as efficient and scalable. The accounts themselves are designed to be simple and long-term; the money must be invested in a stock market index fund, and it cannot be touched until the child turns 18.
$6.25 billion. 25 million children. $250 each.
Susan and I believe the smartest investment we can make is in children. That’s why we’re so excited to contribute $6.25 billion from our charitable funds to help 25 million children start building a strong financial foundation… pic.twitter.com/4Bcv3RKp0q
— Michael Dell 🇺🇸 (@MichaelDell) December 2, 2025
Susan Dell has been central to this vision. In interviews, she emphasized that the donation is about more than money—it’s about sending a message of hope. “We want these kids to know that not only do their families care, but their communities care, their government, their country cares about them,” she told the Associated Press. She and Michael hope this “seed money” will encourage parents to engage with the accounts and contribute even small amounts themselves, leveraging the power of compound interest over more than a decade. The launch date for these accounts is symbolically set for July 4, 2026, marking the 250th anniversary of American independence, with the Dells’ $250 contribution nodding to that milestone.
What Susan Dell’s Net Worth Actually Means
When Forbes lists Michael Dell as the 10th richest American with a net worth of $129 billion, that figure is a representation of their shared wealth. It’s a fortune built from the foundation of Dell Technologies, which Michael founded in 1984, and expanded through savvy investments via their family office. For Susan, this isn’t a static number in a bank account; it’s the fuel for a life defined by active philanthropy and personal passion. As the co-founder and chair of their foundation, she doesn’t just lend her name—she guides its strategy and reviews its hundreds of global grants.
Her influence is visibly stamped on their home city of Austin, Texas, where their donations have named the Dell Medical School, the Dell Seton Medical Center, and the Dell Children’s Medical Center. Beyond the joint projects, Susan has forged her own identity as a successful fashion entrepreneur, having founded three labels, including the luxury brand Phi, and as an elite endurance athlete who has competed in the Ironman World Championships.
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This paints a picture of a woman whose “net worth” is measured not just in financial capital, but in profound philanthropic impact, entrepreneurial spirit, and remarkable personal discipline. The historic $6.25 billion pledge is the latest, largest example of how she and Michael are deploying their resources to try and create broad, generational change, believing that giving children a financial stake in the future can build “hope and opportunity and prosperity for generations to come.”
