Susan and Michael Dell Bet $6.25 Billion on Kids: What to Know About Trump Accounts Right Now

Most billionaires give to a cause. Michael and Susan Dell gave to a system.

Last December, the couple pledged $6.25 billion to put $250 into the investment accounts of 25 million American kids. This week, Michael Dell said those deposits should land by Friday. At the same time, Treasury has just signed up tens of millions of children automatically. The program is bigger, faster and more controversial than it was three months ago.

If you have questions about what a Trump Account is, who qualifies, or why people are arguing about individual stocks, you’re in the right place.

Who Is Susan Dell? The Woman Behind the Gift

When people search for “Michael Dell’s wife,” they often find a few lines about a billionaire’s spouse. The real story is bigger.

Susan Dell is co-founder and board chair of the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, which the couple started in 1999. She also built a career of her own as a fashion entrepreneur, founding three labels, including the luxury brand Phi. Before that, she was a serious athlete who raced marathons, triathlons and cycling events. In 2019, she was inducted into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame.

Susan and Michael married in 1989 and live in Austin, Texas. They have four children.

Here’s why that matters for this story. The foundation has long focused on children and families living in urban poverty. The Trump Accounts gift is that mission, scaled up. And it is huge. The Dells’ foundation reported about $2.9 billion in total giving since 1999, so this single pledge is more than double everything before it.

Susan Dell told The Associated Press the goal was for kids to know their families, communities and country care about them. Michael Dell told CNN the couple felt “super excited” to shape millions of futures.

Susan also said the size of the pledge grew over time. The couple did not start out planning a $6 billion gift.

What Is a Trump Account?

A Trump Account is a tax-advantaged investment account for a child under 18. Congress created it in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in 2025. The accounts officially launched on July 4, 2026.

Think of it as a starter investment account that a child owns but a parent or guardian manages. It works much like an IRA built for kids.

The basics:

• Who owns it: The child. A parent or guardian manages it until age 18.

• How much can go in: Up to $5,000 per year from families and employers (adjusted for inflation after 2027). Government and charity gifts don’t count toward that cap.

• Where the money goes at launch: A low-cost S&P 500 index fund managed through State Street.

• Access: No withdrawals before age 18, with narrow exceptions.

• At 18: The account is treated like a traditional IRA. Withdrawals are taxed, and early withdrawals can bring a 10% penalty.

It is not a 529 college plan. Withdrawals are taxed even when the money pays for school.

Trump Account Eligibility: Who Qualifies?

Eligibility has two parts, and people mix them up.

Part 1: Having an account. Any child under 18 with a Social Security number can have one. There is no income limit.

Part 2: Getting free money. The federal government will deposit a one-time $1,000 for eligible children born between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028. That is the “seed” money.

Two things to remember:

• A parent or guardian must claim the account before the $1,000 arrives.

• The Dells’ $250 is a separate gift for older kids. It is aimed at children 10 and under who were born before 2025 and live in ZIP codes where median household income is under $150,000.

The News This Week: Auto-Enrollment Begins

Until now, parents had to opt in with an IRS form. That changed on October 1.

Treasury announced that it has finished automatic enrollment. Every eligible child under 18 with a valid Social Security number now has an account waiting. Officials say that’s more than 60 million additional children, on top of millions who signed up earlier.

There’s a catch, and the president has been nudging parents about it. The account exists, but a parent must still claim it.

How to claim a child’s account:

1. Download the official Trump Accounts app (iPhone or Android).

2. Verify your identity and your relationship to the child.

4. Review your child’s information and accept the account terms.

Benefits lawyers say the big unknown is how many busy parents will take that step. Families who most need the head start may be the least likely to hear about it. Treasury has said it couldn’t fully solve the legal and technical problems of auto-enrollment before the July launch.

The Big Debate: Individual Stocks in Kids’ Accounts

Here’s where the story gets spicy.

In early July, Treasury said it would accept donations of publicly traded stock. Under new rules that took effect last week, charities and donors can now put individual company shares into kids’ accounts. That’s a shift from the original idea of broad index funds only.

Supporters say:

• Stock gifts will attract bigger donations that would never be made otherwise.

• Owning something real can spark a child’s curiosity about investing.

• Many families own no stock at all. Michael Dell pointed to a figure of 38% of family households.

Critics say:

• A child’s savings could end up tied to a single company.

• Billionaire donors could, in theory, dump shares to move prices or collect tax breaks.

Treasury itself admits shares can raise concentration risk, but argues the gifts are worth allowing.

Michael Dell took the criticism head on in a Yahoo Finance interview on Wednesday. He called the worries “unlikely corner cases” and later said he thinks they’re “actually nonsense.” He also noted that his own gift, the government’s gift and gifts from Ray and Barbara Dalio and Brad Gerstner all go into the S&P 500. By contrast, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell plans to give one SpaceX share to more than 2 million children.

His case is simple: kids who own a piece of something will get curious about space, capitalism and compounding. Financial education, he argued, is the point.

Michael Dell’s Own Money Story

Dell often says a childhood savings account sparked his love of investing. In a December interview with Fortune, he said it taught him about saving and compound interest. He has said he hopes Trump Accounts do the same for a new generation.

On the day of the national launch, he wrote on X that the accounts give every child “a real stake” in the country.

That personal angle helps explain why a tech CEO, who built a company in a college dorm room, is spending billions on kids’ brokerage accounts.

Who Is Brad Gerstner? The Idea Man

Behind the policy is Brad Gerstner, the founder and CEO of investment firm Altimeter Capital.

His story starts at a kitchen table. Gerstner had opened investment accounts for his own two kids at birth. His son Lincoln asked why only they got one, and what about other children. That question grew into a campaign called Invest America, which became Trump Accounts.

Gerstner now works to line up private money. On Fox Business, he said there are “tens of billions of dollars in commitments we haven’t announced.” He predicted $100 billion more in the next 12 months.

He also draws a line on Social Security. He calls Trump Accounts an added “prosperity account,” not a replacement.

The Questions People Are Asking

Not everyone is cheering. Here’s the fairest summary of the pushback.

The politics. Some critics see the Dells’ closeness to the White House as more than charity. President Trump has praised Dell publicly, urged Americans to buy Dell computers, and disclosed buying Dell stock. Dell’s share price has soared this year, driven largely by AI server demand. The White House says Trump doesn’t direct his trades and that they run through independent managers. Ethics experts have still raised questions about presidents promoting companies they own.

The follow-through. A free account only helps if parents claim it. Early reports showed lower sign-ups among lower-income families.

The math. Index funds can rise and fall. Over 18 years, outcomes depend heavily on how much families add. Kids from wealthier homes will likely have more.

What Parents Can Do Today

• Check your child’s status in the official app.

• Claim the account to unlock the $1,000 seed if your child qualifies.

• Ask your employer. Some companies are offering contributions for workers’ kids.

• Start small. Even tiny, steady deposits add up over 18 years.

• Know the rules. Withdrawals before 18 are generally off the table.

This article is for information only and isn’t financial or legal advice. Talk with a tax pro about your family’s situation.

The Bottom Line

Whatever you think of the politics, the Dells have turned a niche policy idea into a national experiment. Susan Dell’s long work on children and families gave the gift its heart. Michael Dell’s money gave it scale. Gerstner’s kitchen-table question gave it a spark.

The real test comes later. If millions of kids grow up with a stake in the market, it could be one of the biggest wealth-building shifts in decades. If parents never claim the accounts, it could be a very expensive missed chance.

Sources

• Michael and Susan Dell donate $6.25 billion to fund ‘Trump Accounts’ for millions of American kids (CNN via KVIA)

• Michael and Susan Dell donate $6.25 billion to encourage families to claim ‘Trump Accounts’ (AP via Yahoo Finance)

• Michael Dell defends Trump Accounts’ shift to individual company stocks (Yahoo Finance)

• Trump accounts may spark kids’ interest in investing: Michael Dell (Yahoo Finance video)

• Michael Dell on critics of stock gifts to Trump accounts: ‘I think it’s actually nonsense’

• Trump Accounts: What Families Get as Stock Donations Expand (FinChannel)

• Treasury Announces the Completion of Automatic Enrollment Today for Trump Accounts (U.S. Treasury)

• Millions automatically enrolled in Trump Accounts. Here’s how you can claim it (Gray News)

• Trump Accounts Auto-Enroll Success Hinges on Parents’ Key Step (Bloomberg Law)

• Trump Accounts to Auto-Enroll More Than 60 Million Children (401(k) Specialist)

• Individuals and corporations can donate stock to Trump accounts (Reuters)

• Michael Dell Reaffirms $250 Trump Accounts Pledge (Benzinga via Webull)

• Corporate America backs Trump Accounts as Brad Gerstner predicts $100B (Fox Business)

• Brad Gerstner on Trump Accounts (Skift)

• At Trump Account Summit, Speakers Debate Role Alongside Social Security (PSCA)

• Susan Dell biography (Michael & Susan Dell Foundation)

• Michael & Susan Dell Foundation (Wikipedia)

• Trump Accounts Are Live. Here’s What You’re Allowed to Buy (Motley Fool via Webull)

• Trump Account Elections, Form 4547 (TaxAct)

• What Families Need to Know About Trump Accounts and the New IRS Rules (Frazier & Deeter)

• Dell shares climb after Trump pitches the stock at accounts launch (Wealth Professional)

• “Presidents cannot pick winners”: White House ethics lawyer on Trump and Dell (Fortune)