His financial and political support certainly affords him direct access to Bush. In January, Dell and 35 other business leaders who had contributed a combined $1.6 million to the GOP were invited to a private forum with the president-elect. Later, at the inugural ball, Bush's wife and twin daughters wore gowns designed by Dell's wife, Susan.

After dropping out of college at 18, Dell began selling computers directly to the consumer: no middleman meant more money for Dell. In 1984, he founded Dell Computers with an initial investment of $1,000. Today the Texas-based corporation is the nation's 78th largest company, with annual sales of $23.6 billion. In 1992, Dell became the youngest CEO of a company ever listed on the Fortune 500.

Even though computer sales have been on the decline, Dell sees the high-tech cup as half full. "You know what's a real blast?" he told The Daily Telegraph. "For me, it is seeing a part of my company that is growing really fast. Dell China! I go there and see this thriving new enterprise, and I see 800 Chinese, all thriving and busy and all wearing their Dell Blue. Now that is tremendous!"

Dell, who lives in a 33,000-square-feet family compound known as "the castle," donated $114 million worth of stock in January to establish the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, with a focus on children, health care, and education. His approach to charity could apply equally to politics. "Giving isn't just about forking over money and saying, 'See you later,'" he explained in 1999. "It's about making sure that you're getting the desired outcome. You make more progress if you hold people accountable and measure their results. So if you're going to get involved with something, make sure that you're getting your expected outcome as a return on your investment."