AUSTIN, TX—Philanthropists Michael and Susan Dell announced a landmark $6.25 billion commitment on Monday to Invest America, a bipartisan federal initiative aimed at providing tax-advantaged investment accounts to every American child under 18. The donation will fund $250 seed deposits for 25 million children aged 10 and under, extending early access to market-driven savings tools for families nationwide.
The Dells’ gift targets children born before January 1, 2025, who missed out on an upcoming $1,000 federal contribution for newborns.
“If there’s one investment that never stops growing, it’s investing in children. They are our future,” the couple wrote in a joint statement.
Michael Dell, 60, founded Dell Technologies in 1984 as a University of Texas student, transforming it into a global leader in computing with over $88 billion in annual revenue. A self-made billionaire ranked among Forbes’ top 20 richest Americans, Dell has long championed education and economic equity through the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, which has invested billions in youth programs since 1999. His wife, Susan Dell, 59, co-founded the organization and serves as its president, focusing on health, education, and family economic stability initiatives worldwide.
Invest America emerged from cross-party efforts in Congress to address wealth gaps, launching in 2024 as a federally backed program under the U.S. Treasury. Modeled after successful state “baby bonds” pilots in Connecticut and elsewhere, it provides every child an inactive account at birth—activated by families for contributions and investments in diversified, low-risk funds. The initiative gained momentum amid post-pandemic discussions on child poverty, with early pilots showing accounts compounding to $5,000–$10,000 by adulthood at modest returns. Starting in 2025, the federal $1,000 seed for newborns formalizes nationwide access, with private matching encouraged.
“This is not just about what one couple or one foundation or one company can do,” the Dell’s stated in their announcement. “It is about what becomes possible when families, employers, philanthropists, and communities all join together.”
Author: Mario Lotmore
