Dell Industries CEO and chairman Michael Dell knows from experience how small investments can have large payoffs.
At age 19, Dell spent $1,000 on old computer parts to start his company from his University of Texas at Austin dorm room in 1984. The company has a market capitalization of $90.14 billion as of Thursday morning, and Dell has an estimated $147 billion net worth — making him the world’s 11th-richest person — according to Bloomberg.
He and his wife Susan Dell are donating a portion of that wealth, they announced on Tuesday, committing a total of $6.25 billion to investment accounts for roughly 25 million American children. The donation will expand the amount of children eligible for the Invest America Act, which is set to create $1,000 seed investment accounts for babies born between Jan. 1, 2025, and Dec. 31, 2028.
The so-called Trump accounts, which will build compound interest and can be cashed out once the child is 18, received bipartisan support in Congress. Parents are expected to be able to open and contribute to the accounts starting on July 4, 2026.
The Dells’ gift is to create accounts — seeded with $250 each — for many American children 10 and under who were born before Jan. 1, 2025. It’s the largest gift ever devoted to American children, according to Invest America, a nonprofit advocacy group partnered with the Dells.
Dell attributes much of his success to following a set of principles and leaning into specific personality traits, he wrote in a CNBC Make It article on Oct. 6, 2021. Here are his six of his rules to leading a fulfilling career and life:
Be a team player
Being a good team player can fuel your personal and team’s success, Dell wrote. Working well with others often means treating your co-workers with respect and fairness while being humble and authentic, he noted.
It’s OK to feel frustrated at work, Dell wrote, “but don’t stay angry. Anger is counterproductive. Instead, be motivated by a desire to help others.”
Be curious and prepared to change
“It’s so important to always be learning. You want to have big ears,” Dell wrote, adding: “Try never to be the smartest person in the room. Surround yourself with people who challenge you, teach you, inspire you and push you to be your best.”
Pushing yourself to be more curious, especially about your customer’s experience, can also help you keep up with fast-paced change, a paramount skill for anyone who wants to get ahead at work, wrote Dell.
“There are only the quick and the dead,” he wrote. “Organizations need to constantly reimagine themselves, understanding and anticipating all the factors [like technology] that will impact them in the future.”
Be trustworthy
To be successful, you have to be trustworthy, abide by a set of ethics and act with integrity, Dell wrote. You’re allowed to change your mind after making a decision, he added, but you should objectively make decisions based on what facts and data tell you.
“You can’t be successful over time without [trustworthiness],” Dell wrote. “Markets are long-term efficient. If I make a commitment and don’t meet it, or if I deliver a bad product or service, no one will want to buy from me again.”
Be resilient and work hard
You need to be committed, driven, gritty and determined to “win” at anything, Dell wrote. You also must be able to take a metaphorical punch, get back up and keep fighting, he wrote.
“Success is a horrible teacher,” he wrote. “Setbacks and failures make you stronger over time — if you let yourself learn from them.”
Feeling positive about the future helps, he added: “Finding ways to grow optimism in yourself will make you much happier.”
Don’t be afraid to take risks and make mistakes
Experimenting and taking risks are part of growth, and mistakes can teach you how to change course or redirect your attention, wrote Dell.
“Never let a good crisis go to waste,” he wrote. “Focus on what you can control. Crisis often create new opportunities.”
Be pleased, but never satisfied
At his company, Dell wrote, he likes to say: Be pleased, but never satisfied. In other words, if you want to be successful, you have to improve continuously.
“The Japanese call it kaizen,” he wrote. “It means being in the race with no finish line. Celebrate and appreciate achievements, but always look ahead to the next big goal or opportunity.”
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