WASHINGTON, D.C. — In December 2024, Michael Dell and his wife, Susan Dell, announced a $6.25 billion donation to establish investment accounts for 25 million U.S. children under a program branded as 'Trump Accounts.' Donald Trump introduced the Dells at the announcement event.

Michael Dell, chairman and CEO of Dell Technologies, said he first became interested in creating investment accounts for children in 2021 after hearing the idea from Altimeter Capital's Brad Gerstner, years before the initiative carried Trump’s name. The donation exceeded more than double the total historical giving of the Dells’ foundation, which they established in 1999 to support children in poverty through healthcare, education, and financial opportunities.

Critics raised concerns about the structure and branding of the donation. "It looks terrible is the short answer," said Greg Williams, director of the Center for Defense Information at the Project on Government Oversight. He added, "Very publicly courting contributions to all sorts of projects of the president's has created the very strong interest that they are in the business of soliciting contributions of various kinds in exchange either for access to the president or for outcomes that he may be able to influence."

Megan Tompkins-Stange, an associate professor at the University of Michigan's Ford School of Public Policy, noted the departure from traditional philanthropy. "What's new here is they're not giving through an intermediary or through a nonprofit or some type of a mediating durable institution, which is typically how philanthropy works," she said. "Instead, they are giving directly to this branded initiative with Trump's name."

According to government ethics filings, Donald Trump purchased between $1 million and $5 million in Dell shares on February 10, 2025, and made three additional smaller purchases in March 2025. On February 10, Dell stock closed at $126.01. Dell stock later surged to $441.56 in extended trading on a Thursday in late February 2025 after the company reported a 757% spike in AI server revenue. If Trump held the February shares, his paper profit would range between $1.5 million and $7.5 million. The Trump Organization stated that Trump’s accounts are managed by third-party institutions without input from him or his family. The White House said his assets are held in a trust managed by his children.