President Donald Trump spotlighted Texas billionaires Michael and Susan Dell over their donation to his “Trump accounts” during his record-breaking, over two-hour-long State of the Union address Tuesday night.
The Dells, partial owners of Dell Technologies Inc., pledged $250 per child to 25 million American children in support of Trump’s program—roughly $6.25 billion—which automatically establishes an account with $1,000 for each child born between 2025 and 2028.
“Millions will be prefunded courtesy of the U.S. Treasury, and private individuals like Michael and Susan Dell — they’re great people,” Trump said.
It was not immediately clear if they were in attendance in Washington, D.C.; however, that didn’t stop most of the crowd from giving the couple a standing ovation.
“When I ask Michael Dell how do you make all that money, he said, ‘Well, I just sat in my dorm in school and I made computers, and I sell them to people, and I just kept selling and selling and selling,” Trump said.
“Pretty amazing story that’s called the American dream,” the president added. “He sold a lot of those computers, a lot of those laptops.”
Trump’s remarks about the philanthropic billionaires came during the portion of his address in which he was discussing financial burdens Americans face today and the future of the country’s economy.
He referred to the “Invest America accounts” as “Trump accounts,” joking that he hadn’t named them.
The president lauded the venture, saying the tax-free investment accounts are “so special” and have “taken off and gone through the roof.”
The program takes effect on July 4.
The initiative allows any parent to open an account for their child and contribute up to $5,000 per year. Employers can pitch in $2,500 annually without affecting workers’ taxable income. Donations like Dell’s or from governments don’t count against the set limit.
The Dells announced their investment in Trump’s investment accounts in December 2025, with Michael, the founder and chief executive officer of Dell Technologies, saying,” To philanthropists, companies, community leaders, if you want to be part of something truly meaningful for our kids, communities, for our countries, join us.”
At a roundtable last year, Trump credited Michael Dell with bringing the idea for the accounts to the president. At the same event, Dell said his company would match the governor’s $1,000 contribution for employees’ children.
This is not the first time the Dells have made sizable donations, having committed more than $2.9 billion in philanthropic gifts, mostly to children’s organizations for scholarships and charter-school expansion and to Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin.
The American-Statesman reached out to the Dells for comment on Trump’s remarks.
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