By Michael Dell
I’ve been interested in how money works for as long as I can remember.
When I was 6 or 7 years old, I opened a passbook savings account with just a few dollars in it. I’d bring a quarter to the Savings & Loan, hand it to the teller, and they’d stamp my little blue book. Watching that balance grow, even by a few cents, was my first look at compound interest.
My mom was a stockbroker, and financial newspapers like The Wall Street Journal and Barron’s were always on the coffee table. Those conversations shaped the environment I grew up in. I’d take the bus downtown and watch the stock ticker scroll in office building lobbies. I tried out all kinds of little businesses—selling baseball cards and newspapers, fixing up PCs—just to see what worked and what I could learn.
Those early experiences shaped how I think about opportunity. Not just as something you hope for, but something you build toward. That’s what makes me excited about the Invest America initiative, and why my wife Susan and I are committing $6.25 billion through our charitable funds to expand its reach.
Starting next year, the U.S. Treasury will deposit $1,000 into an investment account for every child born in the United States. These accounts are tax-advantaged, structured for long-term growth, and meant to help children build financial momentum from the very beginning. Families can contribute, others can add to it, and by age 18, that account could help pay for education, job training, a first home, or future savings. It’s a simple idea, but a powerful one. Everyone starts with something. Everyone has a stake.
What moved us most was the chance to expand this opportunity to even more children. Our $6.25 billion investment will seed 25 million additional accounts with $250 each, reaching most children age 10 and under who were born before the federal program begins. It’s a direct, practical way to give families a starting point—and a new subject at the dinner table.
My parents didn’t treat investing like a topic for experts or adults only. It was part of the everyday conversation, and that’s part of what Invest America can make possible for other families. It makes money visible and tangible for children, something they can ask about, track, and understand. They’ll be able to see how markets rise and fall, learn what it means to own a share of a company, and understand how small amounts, invested consistently, can grow over time. Most importantly, they’ll grow up knowing that the financial system isn’t just for someone else—it’s for them too.
These accounts will give children the chance to become shareholders in America’s largest companies and experience what it means to earn a return. They’ll learn about dividends, reinvestment, and long-term thinking—not by studying financial theory, but by seeing their money steadily increase. That kind of exposure can change how children think about money.
By the time a child turns 18, their account could be worth thousands. And that balance can open up real options, like paying for school, entering a job training program, putting a down payment on a home, or continuing to invest. This isn’t just about unlocking potential. It’s about creating tangible pathways. For some, that first use of funds might lead to a college degree. For others, it might mean a credential or a home. But what matters most is the freedom to choose.
I know firsthand what a financial foundation can do. I started my company with just $1,000. Invest America can help offer that kind of opportunity and more to young Americans across the country.
What excites me about Invest America is that there’s a role for everyone to play. The federal government is taking the lead, contributing $1,000 to newborn accounts. Dell Technologies is matching the government’s contribution for every U.S. employee’s newborn child. Employers, state and local governments, and other philanthropies will join. Families and even kids themselves can add to their accounts. And together, we can make this something that changes lives for generations.
Too often, access to the financial system depends on where you’re born, who your parents are, and whether someone explains how it all works. This initiative shifts that. It makes access automatic. It gives every child a reason to learn, to ask questions, to plan. Susan and I hope every parent or caregiver will take the important first step of opening their child’s account when they become active next year.
It starts with a single contribution. But over time, it becomes something more. Not just in dollars, but in the habits, confidence, and direction it helps build. These accounts give children a way to take ownership early and build something that’s truly theirs. That’s how real opportunity begins to take shape.