Michael Dell

Dell CEO

In 1984 he declared his intention to unseat IBM as the world's leading computer maker. It sounded outlandish at the time, but in pursuit of that goal Dell Computer has revolutionized its industry. It bypasses retailers by selling made-to-order computers directly to consumers at low prices, and profits from hyperefficient, just-in-time inventory management. Those innovations helped make Dell the No. 1 computer seller in the world this year. Michael Dell, 36, is raising his sights from PCs to the powerful servers and storage devices that serve businesses. In Dell's cross hairs: IBM.

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