Michael Dell has overtaken Jeff Bezos to become the world’s third richest person, according to Forbes, after Dell Technologies shares reached a record high amid a powerful rally fueled by booming demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure. The milestone marks the first time the Dell Technologies chairman and CEO has held the No. 3 position on Forbes’ real time billionaire rankings.
Forbes estimated Michael Dell’s net worth at $267.7 billion at the close of trading on September 8, 2026, after his fortune gained $4.6 billion during the session. Jeff Bezos, meanwhile, saw his estimated wealth fall to $265.2 billion as Amazon shares declined 0.6%. Dell now trails only Alphabet co-founder Larry Page and Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on the Forbes billionaire ranking.
Dell Technologies Stock Drives Wealth Surge
Dell Technologies shares climbed 1.9% on September 8 to close at an all time high of $533.88, after reaching an intraday peak of $538.47. The stock’s latest advance extends a remarkable 2026 rally that has transformed the value of Michael Dell’s stake in the company and pushed his personal fortune sharply higher.
Forbes reported that Dell Technologies stock has gained 327% since the beginning of 2026, when shares traded around $128. Michael Dell owns roughly 40% of the company, giving him substantial exposure to the surge in Dell Technologies’ market value. His wealth has more than doubled over the past year as investors have increasingly valued Dell’s position in the rapidly expanding AI hardware market.
The rally accelerated after Dell Technologies delivered a powerful second quarter performance. The company generated $47 billion in quarterly revenue, representing a 58% year over year increase, while adjusted earnings reached $7.04 per share. Dell also reported $60.9 billion in AI server orders and a record $95 billion backlog, highlighting the enormous demand for computing infrastructure needed to build and operate artificial intelligence systems.
AI Infrastructure Powers Dell’s Growth
Artificial intelligence infrastructure has become one of the biggest drivers behind Dell Technologies’ financial performance. Businesses, cloud providers and data center operators continue to invest heavily in servers, storage and networking equipment as they expand their capacity for AI model training, inference and other high performance computing workloads.
Dell Technologies has benefited directly from this spending boom through its AI optimized server business. The company’s AI server revenue reached $16.4 billion in the latest quarter, while its record order backlog demonstrates that demand remains strong. Dell Technologies subsequently raised its full year revenue forecast to $192 billion from $167 billion and increased its adjusted earnings per share forecast to $25.50 from $17.90.
The surge in Dell Technologies stock has also reshaped the broader technology billionaire rankings. Michael Dell started 2026 with an estimated fortune of about $141 billion and ranked 13th globally on Forbes’ annual billionaire list. His rapid rise demonstrates how strongly public market valuations can affect the fortunes of major technology founders when their companies become key beneficiaries of an emerging investment cycle.
Michael Dell Reaches New Billionaire Milestone
Michael Dell’s move past Jeff Bezos highlights the speed at which the global billionaire rankings can change when technology stocks experience major price movements. Bezos remains one of the world’s wealthiest individuals through his Amazon stake and other investments, but a 0.6% decline in Amazon shares on September 8 reduced his estimated fortune while Dell Technologies’ record close pushed Dell ahead.
Dell’s latest ranking also represents another major step in his return to the upper tier of global wealth. Earlier in 2026, he moved past other technology billionaires as Dell Technologies shares rallied, benefiting from accelerating AI infrastructure spending. The company’s combination of servers, storage and enterprise technology has positioned it as an important supplier to organizations building increasingly powerful AI data centers.
The latest Forbes ranking places Michael Dell behind Larry Page, whose estimated fortune stood at $277.9 billion, and Elon Musk, whose fortune Forbes estimated at $942 billion. With Dell Technologies continuing to benefit from AI infrastructure demand, further movements in the billionaire rankings could depend heavily on the performance of Dell shares and the wider technology market.
