Key Takeaways
- • Susan Dell, co-founder and chair of the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, is described as the principal decision-maker on where the Dells' roughly $10 billion in giving goes, per the primary article.
- • The Dells committed $6.25 billion in December 2025 to provide $250 contributions to 25 million U.S. children through Trump Accounts, targeting children aged 10 and under who are not eligible for the federal $1,000 contribution for children born 2025-2028.
- • The Dells became the first donors to surpass $1 billion in lifetime giving to the University of Texas at Austin, with latest commitments supporting a new advanced research campus, an AI-focused medical center, scholarships, student housing, and expanded supercomputing.
- • The foundation's focus areas are education, jobs and livelihood, and health, and it manages more than 800 projects worldwide each year across the U.S., Africa, India, Israel, and Texas.
Summary
Susan Dell is the central figure in directing the $10 billion in charitable giving by her and husband Michael Dell, who is ranked as the sixth-richest person in the world with a net worth of about $232 billion. She is co-founder and chair of the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, established in 1999. According to the article, the foundation manages more than 800 projects annually across the United States, Africa, India, Israel, and Texas, where the couple lives on a 33,000-square-foot estate. Its focus areas are education, jobs and livelihood, and health. Janet Mountain, head of the foundation, who previously worked as an executive at Dell before joining the foundation in 2003, said in a statement that solutions matter to Susan because people matter to her.
Susan Dell has recently focused largely on the livelihood pillar through the Dells' Trump Accounts commitment. In December 2025, the couple committed $6.25 billion to provide $250 contributions to 25 million U.S. children. The funding targets children age 10 and under who are not eligible for the federal government's separate $1,000 contribution for children born between 2025 and 2028, and will go to children in ZIP codes with median incomes of $150,000 or less. Michael Dell said the couple initially considered limiting the contribution to Texas before expanding it nationwide. Susan said at the December White House announcement that children need a future they can see is worth saving for.
Texas remains central to the Dells' philanthropy, particularly in health care. In April, the Dells became the first donors to surpass $1 billion in lifetime giving to UT Austin. Their latest commitments will fund a new advanced research campus, an AI-focused medical center, scholarships, student housing, and expanded supercomputing capabilities. This builds on earlier investments: in 2013 the foundation committed $50 million to establish Dell Medical School at UT Austin and another $10 million for local health care initiatives. The foundation has also supported Dell Children's Medical Center, which opened in 2007, and the Dell Pediatric Research Institute.
Susan Dell's background includes a fashion career in which she founded three labels, including luxury brand Phi, which closed during the recession, and competitive endurance sports, including the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii. In 2018 she was inducted into the Texas Women's Hall of Fame for helping families recover from Hurricane Harvey, a effort in which the couple committed more than $43 million to rebuilding across 41 counties. In 2025 the couple received the History-Making Texan Award. In a 2017 discussion on the future of philanthropy, she said, "The reality is, you know, we're just getting started."
Susan Dell has recently focused largely on the livelihood pillar through the Dells' Trump Accounts commitment. In December 2025, the couple committed $6.25 billion to provide $250 contributions to 25 million U.S. children. The funding targets children age 10 and under who are not eligible for the federal government's separate $1,000 contribution for children born between 2025 and 2028, and will go to children in ZIP codes with median incomes of $150,000 or less. Michael Dell said the couple initially considered limiting the contribution to Texas before expanding it nationwide. Susan said at the December White House announcement that children need a future they can see is worth saving for.
Texas remains central to the Dells' philanthropy, particularly in health care. In April, the Dells became the first donors to surpass $1 billion in lifetime giving to UT Austin. Their latest commitments will fund a new advanced research campus, an AI-focused medical center, scholarships, student housing, and expanded supercomputing capabilities. This builds on earlier investments: in 2013 the foundation committed $50 million to establish Dell Medical School at UT Austin and another $10 million for local health care initiatives. The foundation has also supported Dell Children's Medical Center, which opened in 2007, and the Dell Pediatric Research Institute.
Susan Dell's background includes a fashion career in which she founded three labels, including luxury brand Phi, which closed during the recession, and competitive endurance sports, including the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii. In 2018 she was inducted into the Texas Women's Hall of Fame for helping families recover from Hurricane Harvey, a effort in which the couple committed more than $43 million to rebuilding across 41 counties. In 2025 the couple received the History-Making Texan Award. In a 2017 discussion on the future of philanthropy, she said, "The reality is, you know, we're just getting started."
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