This Unexpected Tech Founder Is Now Richer Than Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Ellison and Jensen Huang
This CEO is now one of the richest people in the world, with a fortune greater than $200 billion.
Key Takeaways
- Michael Dell, 61, is now the fifth-richest person in the world, ahead of Warren Buffett, Mark Zuckerberg and Jensen Huang.
- Dell’s company stock has risen 225% this year, pushing the firm’s market value to $281 billion.
- Dell’s total net worth was $212 billion at the time of writing.
Michael Dell first became a billionaire 30 years ago. Now the 61-year-old founder and CEO of Dell Technologies is the fifth-richest person on the planet, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Business Insider recently reported that Dell has pulled ahead of other billionaires, including Oracle founder Larry Ellison, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Berkshire Hathaway chairman Warren Buffett.
He is one of six people with a fortune exceeding $200 billion, joining the ranks of Elon Musk, Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Jeff Bezos and Ellison. Dell’s total net worth was $212 billion at the time of writing.
Dell’s fortune has grown by around $71.9 billion since the beginning of the year. Only Musk has gained more riches in the same time period.
Why has Dell’s net worth grown?
Dell’s wealth has increased rapidly because his company’s stock rose 225% this year, pushing the firm’s market valuation to $255 billion — greater than the value of companies like Citigroup, American Express and Qualcomm.
Dell owns about 41% of the company, which has benefited from the AI boom by selling a complete range of technology needed to run AI systems. The products include computers, servers and storage.
The company’s first-quarter earnings, disclosed in May, showed strong consumer demand for its offerings. Net revenue jumped 88% compared to the same quarter last year, reaching a record $44 billion. Sales of AI-focused servers surged 757% to over $16 billion. At the same time, operating income more than tripled to $3.7 billion.
Other billionaires have done better — and worse
Dell isn’t the only tech CEO to witness their fortune grow this year. Musk, who leads Tesla and SpaceX, increased his net worth by over $300 billion this year so far. His wealth briefly crossed the trillion-dollar mark after SpaceX’s public debut earlier this month. At the time of writing, his total net worth was $942 billion, per the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Meanwhile, Alphabet cofounders Page and Brin have also seen significant gains. Each has added more than $23 billion to their fortunes as Alphabet’s stock continues to rise, driven by strong momentum in AI.
Other billionaires have not been as lucky this year, with several seeing major hits to their fortunes as investors pull back from once-booming sectors. Ellison, Zuckerberg, Steve Ballmer and Bernard Arnault have each lost around $40 billion, reflecting sharp declines in both tech and luxury stocks.
Dell’s journey
Dell began building his fortune in 1984 at age 19 with just $1,000. He sold customized PCs from his University of Texas dorm room and eventually grew the company into a dominant computer brand.
Today, Dell channels part of his wealth into the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, which focuses on education, health and lifting children out of poverty.
In 2025, Dell and his wife pledged $6.25 billion to long-term investment accounts for 25 million American children, marking one of the largest direct philanthropic gifts ever made directly to Americans.
Key Takeaways
- Michael Dell, 61, is now the fifth-richest person in the world, ahead of Warren Buffett, Mark Zuckerberg and Jensen Huang.
- Dell’s company stock has risen 225% this year, pushing the firm’s market value to $281 billion.
- Dell’s total net worth was $212 billion at the time of writing.
Michael Dell first became a billionaire 30 years ago. Now the 61-year-old founder and CEO of Dell Technologies is the fifth-richest person on the planet, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Business Insider recently reported that Dell has pulled ahead of other billionaires, including Oracle founder Larry Ellison, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Berkshire Hathaway chairman Warren Buffett.
He is one of six people with a fortune exceeding $200 billion, joining the ranks of Elon Musk, Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Jeff Bezos and Ellison. Dell’s total net worth was $212 billion at the time of writing.
