Michael Dell, the founder and CEO of Dell Technologies has pledged $750 million to the University of Texas at Austin, marking one of the largest donations ever made to a US public university. The gift will fund a new healthcare and research campus, including the nation’s first AI-native hospital, and expands Dell’s lifetime contributions to UT beyond $1billion. The new campus will feature a hospital designed around artificial intelligence, where AI systems will help doctors detect diseases earlier and also create personalised treatment plans. The facility is expected to open in 2030, positioning UT Austin as a leader in AI-driven medicine and research.
Michael Dell’s connection to UT Austin
Michael Dell’s connection to UT Austin dates back to 1983, when he enrolled as a pre-med student before founding Dell Technologies from his dorm room. Over the years, he and his wife Susan have made major contributions:* 2005: $25 million to build Dell Children’s Medical Center* 2013: $50 million to establish Dell Medical School* 2026: $750 million gift, bringing total donations past $1 billionUT Austin recently renamed Dell’s freshman residence hall “Dell House” in recognition of his enduring legacy.The donation made by Michael Dell will also fund scholarships, advanced computing infrastructure, and medical research initiatives, strengthening UT’s role as a hub for healthcare innovation. Dell emphasised the personal nature of the gift, saying: “I think about this as the next step in a timeline that actually goes back to my parents sending me off to UT to become a doctor. Obviously, that part didn’t work out, but I never stopped thinking about that.”
Michael Dell on Dell’s plan to move company’s base to Texas
Last month, Michael Dell said that 97% of Dell shareholders voted in favour of moving the company’s legal base from Delaware to Texas. Dell, who founded the company in Austin in 1984 shared a post of social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) in which he wrote, “Today, with 97% approval, Dell shareholders voted to bring our legal home to Texas. This is home and where we’ve always belonged. Texas gave us the talent, the universities, and the environment to build something that lasts. Proud to make it official. Let’s go.” This move from the Dell CEO comes days after Texas Governor Gregg Abbott welcomed the company with a “Welcome Home” message.In May this year, Michael Dell said that the company’s “Board of Directors has unanimously approved changing the jurisdiction of Dell Technologies’ state of incorporation from Delaware to its home state of Texas”. This “redomestication” of Dell is likely to be approved at the company’s annual stockholders meeting on June 25 and how the stake holders also voted in favour of the decision. Responding to this decision of Dell, exas Governor Greg Abbott shared an X post welcoming the laptop-maker. “Welcome home, @Dell,” Abbott wrote in the post. adding “For over 40 years, Texas has been where @MichaelDell built and innovated. Now, Dell Technologies is bringing its legal home to Texas.”
