Dell founder Michael Dell shares 42-year-old document that changed his life: ‘It convinced my parents…’
Michael Dell, the billionaire founder, chairman and CEO of Dell Technologies, has taken a trip down memory lane by sharing the one document that he says changed the course of his life.
In a post on X, the billionaire shared a copy of Dell Computer Corporation’s earnings statement for the three months ending July 31, 1984. The earnings statement revealed how the company’s early financial success convinced his parents that dropping out of college was the right decision.
“This one page changed my life,” Michael Dell wrote in an X post.
“42 years ago today, it convinced my parents I shouldn’t go back to college. I started by upgrading PCs from a dorm room. Today @Dell is helping build the infrastructure that powers AIfrom the edge to some of the world’s largest AI factories. You never know which small decision will change everything. Keep building,” he added.
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What did the earnings statement reveal?
The document showed that Dell Computer Corporation generated $888,821 in total revenue during the three months ending July 31, 1984. It also recorded a gross profit of $198,367, underscoring the rapid growth of a business that had begun just months earlier.
Michael Dell started the company as a 19-year-old student at the University of Texas at Austin, where he upgraded personal computers in his college dorm room before eventually leaving college to focus on the business full-time.
More than four decades later, Dell Technologies has grown into one of the world’s leading technology companies. According to Forbes, Michael Dell’s net worth is estimated at $229.2 billion.
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Social media reactions
Dell’s post quickly gained traction on X, with many users calling his journey inspirational.
“That a company as large and important as Dell is initially conceived in the mind of a single person will always amaze me,” one user wrote.
Another commented, “When I think of Dell, I think of laptops.”
A third user said, “I’ve also experienced a lot of changes from small decisions, so these words carry a lot of weight for me. The importance of taking that first step.”
“Remember: A lot of the greats needed to have the same dropping out of college discussion with their parents. Lol,” commented a fourth user.
