Why Michael Dell Really Had to Take Dell Private

Back in 2008, Michael Dell and I sat down for a chinwag at the company’s headquarters in Round Rock, Tex. Even during those dark economic times, Dell’s (DELL) situation looked worse than those of a lot of its rivals. The company did not seem to have any answers to the changing market conditions around it. And Michael Dell, the famed entrepreneur, did not appreciate me pointing that out. He grimaced and bristled and gave me the silent treatment during what was meant to be an hour-long interview that lasted closer to 30 minutes. Dell sucked the air out of the room with his discontent.