Face Time With Michael Dell

You say that as if I were a 70-year-old man nearing the end of his career. I'm only 36. I think I have a few more good years.

But I'm pretty careful about that. I believe in keeping a pretty good balance. I work hard, I play hard.

What do you play at?

I play with my family, with my kids.

Give me a sense of what your work pace is like, what your workday is like.

I get up at about 5:45 or 6. I exercise. Run. Or lift weights. Or swim. At 7:15, 7:30, I take the kids to school and come to work.

Do you make the kids breakfast?

(Looking puzzled) Not really. They know what they're doing. One time I made them pancakes. (laughing) The first one wasn't that good, but the second one was better.

That's the whole Dell model!

I'm all about learning from my mistakes.

I get home at about 6:30 and hang out with the family, have dinner with the kids. I'm pretty good about that.

I do a little email while the kids get ready for bed. I read the kids some bedtime stories, and tuck them in. After they go to sleep, I go back and do email. It's a great time to work, really. It's quiet. And everyone else seems to be working.

What's your wife doing then?

She's doing her email too. And I try to go to bed by 10:30.

So you're not addicted to any of these network TV shows -- West Wing, ER?

(Looking puzzled) No.

You dropped out of college after your freshman year. Obviously, if you look at what you've created, that was the right decision. But do you feel like you missed out on anything by not going to college? Art history class?

No, not art history. I was in college for a year, so I got to experience many of the things people go to college for. The objective of going to college is to learn -- and I think I've learned more doing what I've been doing than I ever could have in college.

I hear that you're planning to have a server computer installed on your airplane. I'm just wondering what you'd be doing on an airplane that would require that kind of power?

(Turning red in the face and rising to leave) I sure hope you're not planning to write about the airplane.

Well, hang on a second. You are legendary for not wanting to talk about anything at all related to your personal life. Why are you so reserved about that stuff? It's not relevant, really. I can't imagine why anyone would care.

Contact Michael Dell by email (michael_dell@dell.com).