Who is Susan Dell?
Susan Dell is an American businesswoman and philanthropist. She co-founded the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation with her husband, Dell Technologies founder Michael Dell, and serves as its chair. The foundation focuses on improving opportunities for children and families in the United States, India and South Africa.
Early life and education
Dell was born in Dallas, Texas. Her father was a surgical oncologist at Baylor University Medical Center. As a teenager she worked as a runway model, and she later studied fashion merchandising and design at Arizona State University. She married Michael Dell in 1989, a few years after he started his computer company.
Career highlights
- Foundation (1999): co-founded the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, focusing first on education and health care in Austin and across the US.
- International work: expanded the foundation with offices in India and South Africa.
- Fashion: opened her own boutique in Austin in 2000 and designed fashion for high-profile events.
- Public service: served on the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.
Major achievements
Since 1999 the Dells have given away billions of dollars through their foundation. After Hurricane Harvey in 2017, she led the foundation’s response in Texas, committing more than $43 million as part of the Rebuild Texas Fund.
Leadership and impact
In December 2025, she and her husband announced a gift of more than $6 billion to fund investment accounts for at least 25 million American children, described as one of the largest private investments in American children in history.
Notable recognition
She was inducted into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame in 2018, and in 2025 the couple received the History-Making Texan Award for their philanthropy.
Vision
Her work centres on the belief that children from low-income families deserve the same chance to succeed, through education, health and financial stability.
The foundation’s work
The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation funds programmes in three main areas: education, family economic stability and health. In the US it supports public schools, college scholarships and access to health care, with a strong focus on Central Texas. In India and South Africa it works on education and helping families move out of poverty. The foundation is known for using data to measure the results of its grants.
Timeline: key moments
- 1989Marries Michael Dell
- 1999Co-founds the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation
- 2000Opens her fashion boutique in Austin
- 2017Leads Hurricane Harvey relief in Texas
- 2018Inducted into Texas Women’s Hall of Fame
- 2025History-Making Texan Award; $6 billion pledge for children
Susan Dell has used her platform to focus on one big idea: giving children from every background a fair start in life.
