Michael Dell’s wife is Susan Lieberman Dell, an American philanthropist and entrepreneur born and raised in Dallas, Texas. Michael Dell is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Dell Technologies, one of the largest technology companies in the world, and one of the richest self-made billionaires in America.
While Michael built a tech empire, his wife Susan has spent more than three decades building her own identity as a fashion entrepreneur, elite endurance athlete, and co-founder of one of the country’s biggest philanthropic foundations. This article covers everything worth knowing about Susan Dell — her background, career, love story with Michael, their family life, and the couple’s record-breaking charitable giving.
Who Is Susan Lieberman Dell?
Susan Lynn Lieberman Dell was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, into a close-knit Jewish family. Her father was a physician, and her mother managed their household; Susan grew up alongside two brothers in a home that placed a heavy emphasis on education and hard work.
Different biographical sources list slightly different birth years for Susan, ranging from 1963 to 1965, so her exact date of birth has never been confirmed through a single official public record — a detail she has kept largely private, unlike her husband, whose birth date (February 23, 1965, in Houston) is well documented.
As a teenager, Susan was an outgoing and athletic kid, competing in swimming and running. After finishing high school, she enrolled at Arizona State University in Tempe, where she studied fashion merchandising and design. Following graduation, she relocated to Austin, Texas, to build a career in commercial real estate with the Trammell Crow Company. That move to Austin would end up changing the course of her life, since it was there that she crossed paths with a young, ambitious computer entrepreneur named Michael Dell.
Susan Dell’s Career & Professional Life
Susan Dell has built her own resume well beyond being a supportive spouse. In the 1990s, she launched Phi, a high-end women’s fashion label known for modern, minimalist designs that earned recognition among fashion insiders. That business grew directly out of her college training in fashion merchandising and gave her an independent professional identity early in the Dells’ marriage.
Susan is also an accomplished endurance athlete. Long before she became a public philanthropic figure, she competed in marathons, triathlons, and cycling events, and she has gone on to race in the grueling Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii — a feat that requires a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a full marathon in a single day.
Her most defining professional role, however, is as co-founder and chair of the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, established in 1999. The foundation has directed billions of dollars toward education, child health, and family economic mobility in the United States, India, South Africa, and Israel. Susan has also served on President George W. Bush’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, acted as a life trustee of the Dell Children’s Medical Center, and supported health research through the Cooper Institute.
In 2025, she was inducted into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame for her public service work. Because her finances are tied closely to the family’s shared wealth, Susan does not have a separately reported personal net worth — most estimates simply fold her assets into Michael Dell’s fortune, which Forbes has placed well into the nine figures in recent years.
How Did Michael and Susan Dell Meet?
Michael and Susan Dell’s story began in February 1988, when Susan was introduced to Michael through a real estate client in Austin. At the time, Michael had just dropped out of the University of Texas at Austin to run his fledgling computer company, then called PC’s Limited — a business that would soon be renamed Dell Computer Corporation. He was, by most accounts, a driven but somewhat awkward young entrepreneur, nowhere near the polished business figure he is today.
Their first date reportedly did not go especially smoothly, but a second outing — a demanding 50-mile bike ride — gave Susan a chance to see Michael’s competitive, determined side, and the two hit it off. As Michael’s company began to take off, going public and turning his early stock holdings into serious wealth, his relationship with Susan deepened right alongside it. The following spring, the couple got engaged, moving quickly toward marriage after roughly a year of dating.
Marriage & Wedding Details
Michael Dell and Susan Lieberman were married on October 28, 1989, in Austin, Texas, in a ceremony that honored the couple’s Jewish heritage and traditions. At the time of the wedding, Michael’s company was still young, but already showing signs of the explosive growth that would soon make him one of the wealthiest people in the technology industry.
More than 35 years later, the couple is still together, making their marriage one of the most enduring in the tech billionaire world. Michael has often credited Susan as a steady, grounding partner throughout Dell’s many ups and downs, including the company’s private buyout and eventual return to public markets. Friends and colleagues close to the family describe Susan as someone whose focus on people and community has shaped much of the couple’s shared philanthropic mission over the decades.
Children & Family Life
Michael and Susan Dell are parents to four children: daughters Kira, Alexa, and Juliette Dell, and son Zachary Dell. The family has lived in Austin, Texas for decades, and the Dells have generally kept their children’s day-to-day lives out of the spotlight, even as the family’s wealth and philanthropy regularly make headlines.
Of the four siblings, Alexa Dell has had the most visible public profile, having built a following on social media and, in 2017, become engaged to real estate entrepreneur Harrison Refoua. Kira Dell, the eldest, graduated from Vassar College and has focused much of her career on education and social impact work, echoing her parents’ philanthropic priorities. The younger children have kept an even lower public profile. Despite the family’s enormous resources, Michael and Susan have spoken about trying to raise their children with a strong work ethic and a sense of purpose, rather than simply handing them a life of comfort.
Susan Dell on Social Media
Unlike many spouses of high-profile business figures, Susan Dell keeps a relatively low personal social media presence, choosing instead to let the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation’s official channels highlight the couple’s philanthropic work. Public appearances and photos of Susan tend to surface around major foundation announcements, foundation galas, or joint appearances with Michael at charitable events. Her public image is built less around personal branding and more around the causes she champions — children’s health, education access, and family economic stability — reflecting the same low-key approach the couple has taken with their children’s privacy.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Susan Lynn Lieberman Dell |
| Date of Birth | Not officially confirmed (commonly cited as circa 1964–1965) |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Fashion entrepreneur, philanthropist, foundation chair |
| Married to | Michael Dell (founder, chairman & CEO of Dell Technologies) |
| Marriage Year | 1989 (October 28) |
| Children | 4 (Kira, Alexa, Juliette, and Zachary Dell) |
| Net Worth | Not separately reported; tied to the Dell family’s shared, multi-billion-dollar wealth |
FAQ Section
Q: What is Michael Dell’s wife’s name?
A: Michael Dell’s wife is Susan Lynn Lieberman Dell, an American philanthropist, fashion entrepreneur, and endurance athlete. She is best known as co-founder and chair of the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation.
Q: How old is Susan Dell?
A: Susan Dell’s exact birth date has not been publicly confirmed, but most sources place her birth year around 1964 or 1965, making her roughly 60 years old as of 2026.
Q: What does Susan Dell do for a living?
A: Susan Dell founded the fashion label Phi and now serves as co-founder and chair of the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, a philanthropic organization focused on education, health, and family economic stability.
Q: When did Michael Dell and Susan Dell get married? A:
Michael Dell and Susan Lieberman got married on October 28, 1989, in Austin, Texas, in a ceremony that reflected the couple’s Jewish traditions.
Q: How many kids do Michael Dell and Susan Dell have?
A: Michael and Susan Dell have four children together: daughters Kira, Alexa, and Juliette Dell, and son Zachary Dell.
Conclusion
Susan Lieberman Dell is far more than simply Michael Dell’s wife — she is a fashion entrepreneur, elite endurance athlete, and the driving force behind one of America’s largest philanthropic foundations. Since marrying Michael Dell in 1989, she has built a life that blends family, business, and large-scale giving, most recently highlighted by the couple’s historic $6.25 billion pledge toward children’s investment accounts. More than three decades into their marriage, Michael Dell and his wife continue to show what a true partnership built on shared purpose can look like, both at home in Austin and on the global philanthropic stage.
