President Trump told Americans to "Go out and buy a Dell computer" as he rang the New York Stock Exchange opening bell for the first time from the White House. That same day, Dell shares jumped more than 7%. Trump's own financial disclosures - public reports of his personal trades - show he has traded Dell stock 24 times in 2025.
His 2025 report lists 16 purchases and eight sales, worth between roughly $300,000 and $1 million. Purchases alone totaled up to $770,000, while sales reached up to $225,000.
Trump Accounts are government-backed investment accounts for children. The U.S. Treasury will contribute $1,000 for every baby born from 2025 through 2028. Michael and Susan Dell pledged over $6 billion to the program.
They will give $250 for each child age 10 or under born before January 1, 2025. Brad Gerstner, founder of Altimeter Capital and the Invest America foundation, said: "This makes real the promise of the American dream, not for some but for everybody." Several major corporations also pledged to match the $1,000 contribution for their employees' children.
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The Dells' pledge directly preceded Trump's public endorsement of Dell's computers during the ceremony.
Earlier Monday, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell announced on X that she would donate one share of the company's stock to a Trump Account "for each of more than two million children across our great nation." Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev described the accounts as "life changing." Trump himself said of the Dells' donation: "We're going to get him that money back one way or the other - and then I'll ask for another $6 billion … We'll start the whole process all over again." The program launched on July 4, 2026.
The ceremony highlighted an unusual convergence of corporate philanthropy and presidential influence. Trump's personal trading in Dell stock, disclosed in public filings, has drawn attention because the promotion came immediately after the Dells' massive pledge.
The Trump Accounts program, announced as part of a broader initiative to encourage long-term savings, has drawn both praise and scrutiny. Supporters see it as a way to give every child a financial head start, while critics question the involvement of major corporations and the potential for conflicts of interest when a president promotes companies that have contributed to the program. Trump's own active trading in Dell stock - 24 transactions in 2025 - adds another layer of complexity, as his endorsement came shortly after the Dells' $6 billion pledge.
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