Why dell went private

When going private, Michael Dell said the company was returning to the "entrepreneurial spirit" on which it was founded. Earlier this year, Dell Technologies said it was undergoing a significant strategic review and might enter the public sphere again, while potentially buying the rest of business software provider VMware that it didn't already own.

Michael Dell, which owns 72 per cent of the company's common shares, will remain as chairman and CEO. As Lowery further points out, Dell also essentially has to reenter the market now. It remains to be seen whether Dell has learned any of the lessons from this cycle: will the company figure out a way to continue to grow with the changing market, expand into new fields, and anticipate new trends? Or will we watch in another decade as the company retreats from the public sphere again to lick its wounds and see if it can figure out the next way to stave off defeat?

For now, at least, Dell is back. The pressure is on. The future is uncertain. Cookie banner We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from.

In addition, representatives of Goldman Sachs began participating in meetings and discussions as to the valuation and other matters regarding Dell's potential business opportunities. From January to June , Dell Technologies put its business plans into overdrive by creating a special committee comprised of independent and disinterested directors to evaluate the potential opportunities. VMware also established a special committee to evaluate and oversee any potential business combination.

VMWare's committee was later granted full power and authority to what action VMware's board should take, if any. Dell publicly disclosed in February that it was evaluating potential business opportunities. So I ignored the experts. And once the battle to go private was won, the shackles really were broken. We could implement important corporate decisions at the moment they could be most effective. Dell was faster and more agile than it had ever been. By , a plan had been formed to take Dell private.

Suddenly, Carl Icahn, a guy I'd never given much thought to before, was coming after my company--the thing that means more to me than anything in the world except my family.

Icahn said he believed that the transaction was not in the best interests of the stockholders, and proposed an alternative plan. He also indicated Icahn Enterprises' intent to start a proxy fight for control of Dell if our stockholders didn't approve the buyout. Much of the ensuing battle played out in the public view, but when you're a founder and your company is fighting for its life, you do whatever it takes--which sometimes means confronting your adversary head-on.