Billionaire Michael Dell's wife of almost 37 years, Susan Dell, has sparked conversation online in recent days after the 62-year-old appeared at the White House to pledge $6.25 billion to Trump Accounts to help children save money through investing.
Susan has been married to the tech founder since 1989, and enjoyed a successful career in fashion design before switching to philanthropy. Join HELLO! as we learn more about Michael and Susan's romance.
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© Penske Media via Getty ImagesMeet cute
Susan and Michael met on a blind date in 1988, just after she had moved to Austin, Texas, to work in real estate. They met over a lunch organized by one of her clients, and immediately hit it off.
"Most men I dated talked about themselves a lot and tried to impress me," she told Texas Monthly. "He was the nicest guy I'd ever met… I always knew I would marry the greatest guy in the world."
Michael had founded his company, PC's Limited, four years earlier while studying at the University of Austin, and changed the name to Dell Computer Corporation in 1987.
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© Patrick McMullan via Getty ImageSettling down
The couple got married in a 1989 ceremony that honored their Jewish traditions.
They then welcomed four children: Alexa, Kira, Juliette and Zachary. Michael and Susan raised their kids on a sprawling estate in Austin dubbed "The Castle", featuring eight bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, several swimming pools and a tennis court.
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© Getty ImagesA passion for philanthropy
The duo have a shared love of philanthropy, and co-founded the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation in 1999. The foundation aims to support access to education, medical care and economic mobility around the world, particularly for children. They have given away a reported $10 billion since 1999, per the website.
Susan was inducted into the Texas Women's Hall of Fame in 2019 alongside figures like Simone Biles and former First Lady Laura Bush, thanks to the foundation's efforts in helping the people of Texas after they were hit by Hurricane Harvey.
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© Getty ImagesSusan steps out
Michael and Susan just pledged $6.25 billion to Donald Trump's Trump Accounts, which is an investment account for children under 18 in the US.
"Over the past month, as our contribution has reached millions of children's accounts, Michael and I have heard from so many parents and kids and grandparents with these beautiful letters that have truly moved us," Susan said at a White House press conference on Wednesday.
"Children have told us that they want to become entrepreneurs. They want to become nurses, doctors, engineers. They want to build their own company someday."
"These things are so wonderful and so important. It's not just the money that matters. That does matter, but knowing someone believes in you and your future, that matters just as much," she continued.
"To every child across the country, these accounts are for you. We believe in you, and we want you to dream big because we know you can make your dreams come true."
