Michael Dell puts $99.5M in Red Hat

occured a year ago...

[bulldog]

CNN Money Story [money.cnn.com]

Through his private investment firm, MSD, Dell bought the largest share of $600 million in debentures offered by the software developer in January 2004, a Securities Exchange Commission filing showed.

[Brett_Tabke]

A bit of a dated story (May 10th), but I think it is the single most significant operating system invenstment since Gates dropped 50g's on a thing called DOS.

[zeus]

If it was possible to do everything on a linux OS, I would take that at once, so if dell can work close with other companies, so every software can be used then they can be a real thread to windows.

[CritterNYC]

Anyone placing bets on how long it is until Dell starts making more Red Hat announcements?

[Brett_Tabke]

Give the warm and fuzzy relationship Dell has had with Gates over the years, one wonders if this isn't a trojan horse offering. I look at it similar to Gates investing in Active State Perl development and the famous Apple investment.

see also: keep friends close...enemies closer...

[mack]

This may also be a case of keeking your options open (long term)

In the server market it makes sence to have a substantual stake in your supplier.

Mack.

[StupidScript]

Especially when your biggest competitors (IBM & HP) are making significant commitments to Linux. Dell's gotta be thinking, "What if this Linux thing takes off? What have we got to offer?"

[growingdigital]

I just got a dell dude. I think one of the things that surprised me most was the option to choose Linux, or Windows on a desktop. This may be old news, but it blew me away. Linux has come a long way, but still has a long way to go.

[walkman]

$100 million is nothing for him. It's like lunch money to most of us, so not sure what to make of this..

[Kirby]

>Especially when your biggest competitors (IBM & HP) are making significant commitments to Linux

Its more about this than anything.

[BReflection]

$100 million is nothing for him. It's like lunch money to most of us, so not sure what to make of this..

A dollar is worth a dollar no matter who you are

[iJeep]

Hmmm. I just ordered a Dell last week and was told that I should order Windows because the salesman didn't think all the hardware would work with Linux.

To his discredit, he also put on a $50 extended warranty when I told him I didn't want it.

[AbsintheSyringe]

Well I guess even our dear Mr. Dell figured how big linux is getting. So what's next Red Hat 10/Dell?

Whatever happens I hope Red Hat lives up to its new version.

[bnhall]

MSD is not Dell, Inc. MSD is a firm run by a bunch of ex-Goldman Sachs bankers to manage Michael's billions. It's likely that they can invest his money in whatever they they think is a good investment, and that MSD investments have nothing to do with Dell, Inc. strategy. The fact that it was debentures and not equity that was purchased is part of an overall trend of MSD to buy convertible bonds.

Late last year MSD bought the Four Seasons Maui - should we speculate that Dell, Inc. is moving from Texas to Hawaii?

[StupidScript]

Good points, bnhall. Good points.

should we speculate that Dell, Inc. is moving from Texas to Hawaii?

Yes, we should.

[bnhall]

Ok then I should sell my house now before all the Dellionaires sell theirs to move!

[bulldog]

I think if he did move from here in Austin, he'd have a hard time selling the 30,000 sq foot house he built. Eh... it could be his 'winter house'

[rise2it]

"it's lunch money to him..."

Hmmmm....he's probably saved ($100 Mil) that much since choosing to outsource much of his customer support out of the U.S.A.

[bnhall]

Actually dell brought customer support BACK to USA a

[walkman]

"A dollar is worth a dollar no matter who you are"

yeah, but maybe his advisors believe that Red Hat will go up 20% this summer and intend to sell it (ie. no strategic investment). Or it could be as someone mentioned, a MSFT type strategy, investing a "few" dollars on dozens of companies just in case...

[AbsintheSyringe]

maybe his advisors believe that Red Hat will go up 20%

If they think so they are wrong. According to linux market survery (http://www.desktoplinux.com/articles/AT2127420238.html) I dont think this is going to be a case. He would get much more money back if he invested this money into Suse or Mandriva. IF they thought so, a blind mind would invest this much money into RH 2-3 years ago, but at this point...

I think they just might work on RH that´ll be completely compatible with dell´s computers. If you people think this is just his ¨lunch money¨ you´re wrong. If it was, why wouldnt he invest those 100million into my company or yours?

He doesnt see the potention of getting double proffits, this was a very thoughtfully calculated ¨investment¨

[walkman]

let mua clarify the "lunch money" statement: read #20.
As far as RH and Dell, who knows. Maybe they know something we don't. Maybe it's that, maybe they see a buyer coming and a short profit, maybe he's just covering bases for Dell Computers. In case the need Linux, they already have a leg up. If Dell Computers had done it, it would have been more clear, this is his private money.

"I think they just might work on RH that´ll be completely compatible with dell´s computers. If you people think this is just his ¨lunch money¨ you´re wrong. If it was, why wouldnt he invest those 100million into my company or yours?"

[JudgeJeffries]

Lets get real, this amount of investement is big money by anyones terms. No one likes to earn it and then lose it so its a serious well thought out gamble either short term or strategic or perhaps it looks good in both directions ie win/win. This man does not have a reputation for throwing his money away. Wish I had the brass to follow him.

[canucks1980]

I would use Linux, but as with most people... change is hard to endure.