Michael Dell Steps Down as CEO

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Michael Dell Steps Down as CEO

Posted by CowboyNeal on Thursday March 4, 2004 @11:42AM from the corporate-musical-chairs dept.

A whole lot of readers made sure we knew that Michael Dell is calling it quits as CEO of Dell, and has named Kevin Rollins, the current president and chief operating officer of Dell, as his successor. Rollins will retain the title of president, but Michael Dell hasn't left completely. He's still planning on sticking around as chairman of the board.

25 of 320 comments (clear)

Dude.... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-03-04 11:43 · Score: 5, Funny

You're getting a huge pension!
1. Re:Dude.... by cachorro · 2004-03-04 11:58 · Score: 5, Interesting
  
  Actually, I had noticed that Mr. Dell cashed in a cool billion worth of stock last December. It must be nice to be able to take that much money off the table, and still be a major stakeholder.
  I wonder if he will simply take time to enjoy life, or perhaps he has a new pet project that has piqued his interest.
  Best wishes Michael, and thanks for all the magazine covers.
2. Re:Dude.... by t0ny · 2004-03-04 15:10 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  Mike Dell is really following intelligent business. The jobs of CEO and Chairman, while it looks good on your resume to hold both, are really two jobs with completely different responsibilities, and unless its a really small corp, they should really be done by two separate people.
  It was all the rage in the dot-bomb era, but as usually reality comes crashing back in, demonstrating that there really IS a reason businesses run the way they do. So kudos to MD, who went out on top, unlike Eisner who had to be forced out. But the difference between the two is that MD is looking out for his company, and Eisner is looking out for Eisner.
  
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Just what Dell needs` by _Sexy_Pants_ · 2004-03-04 11:43 · Score: 5, Funny

a bad*ss like Henry Rollins tearin' it up as CEO. "CUZ I'M A LIAR!"

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Re:somebody tell me why is this .... by Zonnald · 2004-03-04 11:44 · Score: 5, Funny

As compared to ....

You stepping down?
So Much for AtAT Plot Lines... by the+pickle · 2004-03-04 11:46 · Score: 5, Funny

He didn't even wait to copycat Steve on this one! What a shame!

p

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In Korea, long hair is for old people!
Re:Hmm by Anonymous Coward · 2004-03-04 11:46 · Score: 5, Funny

must have something to do with exponential growth of Lunux on desktops, which I am told is happening

No kidding. Two years ago 1, last year there were 2, this year: 4!
Re:Why? by MissMarvel · 2004-03-04 11:46 · Score: 5, Funny

Perhaps he's interested in plumbing. Ya think?
So basically no change here... by overbyj · 2004-03-04 11:47 · Score: 5, Insightful

Someone like Dell will not go quietly into night. Even though his title is changing, nobody believes that he still won't have a profound influence over the company. It is his baby. THis will most likely be like Gates and MS. Sure, his title is different than what it used to be but he certainly still has a tremendous influence.

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1. Re:So basically no change here... by nomadic · 2004-03-04 12:15 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  I don't know why. If I had that much money I wouldn't care what happened to my company, I'd be too busy plumbing the depths of debauchery that such money can bring.
2. Re:So basically no change here... by tomstdenis · 2004-03-04 12:31 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Good then as his first order of new business he can give me a job!
  
  Or do I have to move to India first?
  
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  Someday, I'll have a real sig.
3. Re:So basically no change here... by Twisted+Mind · 2004-03-04 12:53 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  If I had that much money I wouldn't care what happened to my company
  Maybe that's why you don't have that much money ;-).
  
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  (-% TwistedMind %-)
4. Re:So basically no change here... by nomadic · 2004-03-04 15:14 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  If you're the kind of person who would retire after the first couple million and spend the rest of your life knee-deep in booze and cheap women, you won't ever have that kind of money
  
  I find that offensive. If I had that much money I wouldn't be consorting with cheap women, I'd be consorting with EXPENSIVE women.
Dell Steps Down by pyrrhonist · 2004-03-04 11:50 · Score: 5, Funny

Said Dell, "It just got to the point where I was so damn rich, It just wasn't fun any more."

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Show me on the doll where his noodly appendage touched you.
1. Re:Dell Steps Down by wass · 2004-03-04 12:47 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Actually, the conversation went more like this:
  Mr. Dell : I would like to step down as CEO. Here's my written statement.
  Boardroom Exec : Whoa, that's one helluva doozy, your memo doesn't look right. Are you sure the power cord is plugged in to your computer?
  Mr. Dell : Yes, this isn't a computer issue at all. I want to step down as CEO. Let's elect someone else.
  Boardroom Exec : No, that cannot be right. Okay, reboot your computer and try printing our your memo again. That should fix the problem.
  Mr. Dell : No you nitwit, I just want to resign. I know it, and I want us all to elect a new CEO.
  Boardroom Exec : Okay okay, now I know what's wrong. Before we do anything else I want you to reinstall these drivers on your computer and then give me the memo again. That should really fix the problem this time.
  Mr. Dell : Argh, I don't have time for this crap. I know what I want to do, just listen to me. I've been running the show for years, and now I know I want to leave. Let's convene a chairholder's meeting now.
  Boardroom Exec : No, we cannot do that yet. It wasn't a driver issue, so it must be the OS. Before we convene any meetings you'll have to reinstall windows on your computer so we can all make sure this is a legit memo. I'll hold as you do that .......
  Mr. DellAAARRRGGGHHHH!!!
  
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  make world, not war
Re:Hmm by Reid · 2004-03-04 11:51 · Score: 5, Funny

You won't be laughing in 20 years!
Michael Dell, visonnaire??? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-03-04 11:51 · Score: 5, Insightful

This is not a troll, really. I'm just surprised they said something sorta like "Michael will think about The Next Big Thing (tm)" when they are just a hyper-efficient marketing arm/merchandizing facade for Intel. "Dell and R&D" don't go together in my mind, contrary to "Apple and R&D" or "IBM and R&D". Dell is nothing more than a glorified Northgate (or Everex, whatever).

No, IMO, this does not jive. Either M. Dell has other objectives (politics, maybe, I dunno) or there was some sort of back-stage coup.
1. Re:Michael Dell, visonnaire??? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-03-04 12:03 · Score: 5, Interesting
  
  I once got to speak with a fairly high-up person in Dell. Our VP was keen to switch from Compaq (pre HP merger) and had known this guy for years. So I call the guy, and he asks why I preferred Compaq. One of the reasons I cited was Compaq's history of contributing technology and otherwise pushing the industry forward a little bit. His reply: "Yeah, our strategy is pretty much to let Compaq do the work and then just copy them and sell it cheaper."
  
  Now, this didn't really surprise me, as I've been in the industry a long time and knew that was pretty much the case. What stunned me was that he not only admitted it, but seemed proud of it. From that point on, I had yet another reason to never buy from them.
And when we say by Anonymous Coward · 2004-03-04 11:52 · Score: 5, Funny

And when we say "sticking around as chairman of the board", we mean "snorting cocaine off the backs of hookers on his yacht".
No More Pay Cuts by xeon4life · 2004-03-04 11:54 · Score: 5, Interesting

Maybe under this new leadership Dell will stop it's massive pay cuts to ensure it will have enough money for it's "10K A Day Giveaway."

I would know. My dad is one of the best Dell's licensing sales rep in his building and went from making bank (compared to what he used to make at Circuit City) to making near $60,000. Not only was it shocking at the time, it was appalling when two days later Dell announced it's "10K A Day Giveaway," not to mention the massive payroll cuts a few weeks after that.

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Real programmers can write assembly code in any language. -- Larry Wall
Re:The Dell in Dell by TheKidWho · 2004-03-04 11:57 · Score: 5, Funny

No it will be shortened to Rolls, you can add the Royce sticker by yourself.
Re:Why? by Dukael_Mikakis · 2004-03-04 11:58 · Score: 5, Interesting

Yeah, but for many people (especially CEOs, after a while) such decisions have nothing to do with pay. Many of these CEOs work up the ladder (or establish the company, in Dell's case) put in the effort and the hours, earn hundreds of millions of dollars, and don't see any reason to continue working, even though they might make $500K, $1M.

It says that he had softened his role previously, working on big picture issues, and all the things that are sort of fun to do and don't necessarily generate a hard product, so it probably won't change anything. Probably he just got burned out and wanted to do regattas, Larry Ellison-style.
Outsourced? by MooseByte · 2004-03-04 12:04 · Score: 5, Funny

When I first read the headline I thought Dell had finally outsourced their CEO position.

(No doubt to be closer to the core of the company.)

Support top-down outsourcing!
Better Linux Support??? by Supp0rtLinux · 2004-03-04 12:04 · Score: 5, Interesting

I can only hope that Mr. Rollins has the balls to step up and start supporting Linux. Dell has always been so wishy-washy about it... especially since they are known to get the largest discounts from M$. Perhaps a new CEO will mean new life for a new millenium and we'll actually get better Linux support across more of their product line.

BTW: anyone notice that Dell's latest snail mail ad catalog was offering RedHat? So was Gateway's.

The only thing necessary for Micro$oft to triumph is for a few good programmers to do nothing". North County Computers
Re:It's obvious by operagost · 2004-03-04 15:26 · Score: 5, Interesting

Also, you can forget about fixing and repairing PCs as job security. That goldmine has ran out. Why pay someone $100 just to patch up an older PC when you can get a new one for double that amount (and comes with warranty)?
If it has your important data on it? Of course, this means that you'll need to learn real troubleshooting and data recovery techniques, and not just be a "reboot and reformat" monkey.

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