On October 6, 1997, in response to the question of what he’d do if he was in charge of Apple, Dell founder and CEO Michael Dell stood before a crowd of several thousand IT executives and answered flippantly, “What would I do? I’d shut it down and give the money back to the shareholders.”
A little more than a month later, on November 10, 1997, new Apple Interim CEO (iCEO) Steve Jobs responded, speaking in front of an image of Michael Dell’s bulls-eye covered face, “We’re coming after you, you’re in our sights.”
On January 13, 2006, after a little more than eight years of hard work, Apple Inc. passed Dell, Inc. in market value, $72.13 billion vs. $71.97 billion at market close, respectively.
• 2X: On July 27, 2007, Apple’s value doubled that of Dell’s, $127.81 billion vs. $63.65 billion, respectively.
• 3X: On December 6, 2007, Apple’s market value passed 3 times that of Dell’s, $165.66 billion vs. $54.42 billion, respectively.
• 4X: On May 01, 2008, Apple’s market value quadrupled that of Dell’s, $158.66 billion vs. $38.97 billion, respectively.
• 5X: On February 12, 2009, Apple rose $2.60 to hit a market value of $88.37 billion or 5 times that of Dell’s $17.52 billion.
• 6X: On October 20, 2009, Apple rose $11.21 to $201.07 to hit a market value of $180.12 billion or more than 6 times that of Dell’s $29.97 billion.
• 7X: On January 26, 2010, Apple gained $7.57 to $210.64 to hit a market value of $189.72 billion or more than 7 times that of Dell’s$27.03 billion.
• 8X: On May 21, 2010, Apple gained $1.95 to $239.74 to hit a market value of $218.12 billion or more than 8 times that of Dell’s $25.84 billion.
• 9X: On June 1, 2010, Apple gained $6.89 to $263.77 to hit a market value of $240.01 billion or more than 9 times that of Dell’s $26.29 billion.
• 10X: On September 9, 2010, Apple gained $1.60 to $265.37 to hit a market value of $242.43 billion or more than 10 times that of Dell’s $24.21 billion.
• 11X: On September 23, 2010, Apple rose $3.79, or 1.32%, to $291.54 to hit a market value of $266.34 billion or more than 11 times that of Dell’s $23.81 billion.
• 12X: On January 27, 2011, Apple rose $0.26, or 0.08%, to $344.11 to hit a market value of $317.02 billion or more than 12 times that of Dell’s $26.02 billion.
• 13X: On August 26, 2011, Apple rose $9.86, or 2.64%, to $383.58 to hit a market value of $355.61 billion or more than 13 times that of Dell’s $27.29 billion.
• 14X: On September 20, 2011, Apple rose $1.82, or 0.44%, to $413.45 to hit a market value of $383.31 billion or more than 14 times that of Dell’s $27.15 billion.
• 15X: On February 15, 2012, Apple rose $14.03, or 2.75%, to $523.49 to hit a market value of $486.78 billion or more than 15 times that of Dell’s $32.37 billion.
• 16X: On february 29, 2012, Apple rose $8.43, or 1.575%, to $543.84 to hit a market value of $505.75 billion or more than 16 times that of Dell’s $31.35 billion.
• 17X: On March 12, 2012, Apple rose $3.27, or 0.60%, to $548.44 to hit a market value of $512.33 billion or more than 17 times that of Dell’s $29.94 billion.
• 18X: On March 19, 2012, Apple rose $9.94, or 1.70%, to $595.51 to hit a market value of $553.29 billion or more than 18 times that of Dell’s $30.61 billion.
• 19X: On March 26, 2012, Apple rose $10.93, or 1.83%, to $606.98 to hit a market value of $565.93 billion or more than 19 times that of Dell’s $29.43 billion.
• 20X: On April 3, 2012, Apple rose $10.49, or 1.70%, to $629.12 to hit a market value of $585.93 billion or more than 20 times that of Dell’s $29.21 billion.
• 21X, 22X: On, May 23, 2012, Apple’s market value stood at $520.40 billion or more than 22 times that of Dell’s $22.90 billion.
• 23X: Also on May 23, 2012, Apple’s market value stood at $520.45 billion or more than 23 times that of Dell’s $22.15 billion after Dell shed over 16% following another poor earnings report coupled with weak guidance.
• 24X: And again on May 23, 2012, Apple’s market value was $524.00 billion or more than 24 times that of Dell’s $21.83 billion after Dell shed over 18% following another poor earnings report coupled with weak guidance.
• 25X: On June 4, 2012, Apple’s market value hit $527.65 billion or more than 25 times that of Dell’s $20.99 billion.
• 26X: On June 19, 2012, Apple’s market value hit $550.43 billion or more than 26 times that of Dell’s $21.15 billion.
• 27X: On July 23, 2012, Apple’s market value hit $564.62 billion or more than 27 times that of Dell’s $20.64 billion.
• 28X: On August 2, 2012, Apple’s market value hit $569.75 billion or more than 28 times that of Dell’s $20.06 billion.
• 29X and 30X: On August 22, 2012, Apple’s market value hit $610.02 billion or more than 30 times that of Dell’s $20.29 billion.
• 31X: On August 23, 2012, Apple’s market value hit $621.15 billion or more than 31 times that of Dell’s current $19.66 billion.
• 32X: Yesterday, August 27, 2012, Apple’s market value hit $635.57 billion or more than 32 times that of Dell’s current $19.61 billion.
• 33X: Today, August 28, 2012, Apple’s market value stood at $632.71 billion or more than 33 times that of Dell’s current $19.07 billion.
Apple is also a debt-free company and currently has more than six times Dell Inc.’s total worth in cash.
Hello, Mikey? Miiikkkkeeeyyy? Mikey?
See AAPL and DELL quotes via NASDAQ here.
MacDailyNews Take: If you think we’ve grown tired of this, you would be wrong. We will do this hourly, if need be. We are longtime Mac users. We have been subjected to quite a lot. We have a nearly inexhaustible supply to dole out before the universe is once again back in balance.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “RobG” for the heads up.]
Related articles:
Apple now worth 32 times Dell’s market value – August 27, 2012
Apple now worth 31 times Dell’s market value – August 23, 2012
Apple now worth 30 times Dell’s market value – August 22, 2012
Apple now worth 28 times Dell’s market value – August 2, 2012
Apple now worth 27 times Dell’s market value – July 23, 2012
Apple now worth 26 times Dell’s market value – June 19, 2012
Apple now worth 25 times Dell’s market value – June 4, 2012
Apple now worth 24 times Dell’s market value – May 23, 2012
Apple now worth 23 times Dell’s market value – May 23, 2012
Apple now worth 22 times Dell’s market value – May 23, 2012
Apple now worth twenty times Dell’s market value – April 3, 2012
Apple now worth nineteen times Dell’s market value – March 26, 2012
Apple now worth eighteen times Dell’s market value – March 19, 2012
Apple now worth seventeen times Dell’s market value – March 12, 2012
Apple now worth sixeen times Dell’s market value – February 29, 2012
Apple now worth fifteen times Dell’s market value – February 15, 2012
Apple now worth fourteen times Dell’s market value – September 20, 2011
Apple now worth thirteen times Dell’s market value – August 26, 2011
Apple now worth twelve times Dell’s market value – January 27, 2011
Apple now worth eleven times Dell’s market value – September 23, 2010
Apple now worth ten times Dell’s market value – September 09, 2010
Apple now worth nine times Dell’s market value – June 01, 2010
Apple now worth eight times Dell’s market value – May 21, 2010
Apple now worth seven times Dell’s market value – January 26, 2010
Apple now worth sextuple Dell’s market value – October 20, 2009
Apple now worth quintuple Dell’s market value – February 12, 2009
Apple could buy Dell outright; Mac-maker has more cash on hand than Dell is worth – October 21, 2008
Apple now worth quadruple Dell’s market value – May 01, 2008
Apple now worth triple Dell’s market value – December 06, 2007
Apple now worth double Dell’s market value – July 27, 2007
Beleaguered Dell: Shut it down and give the money back to the shareholders – March 02, 2007
Biting words on Apple come back to haunt Dell – February 10, 2007
Steve Jobs emails Apple team: Michael Dell not the best prognosticator, Apple worth more than Dell – January 16, 2006
Apple now worth more than Dell – January 13, 2006
Forget an Apple a day, AAPL is worth a Dell a day! Rounding error anyone?
I was thinking “It seems like only yesterday that Apple was worth 32 Dells.”
Inexhaustible supply? Sorry, but it’s over when Dell gets to zero.
No. The frequent counting of ‘x times’ would be over, but then we can have an annual retrospective on the date Mikey uttered those stupid words, like a never ending eulogy, done annually.
“Over? Who said its over? Did we give up when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? No! It’s not over. It’s over when we say it’s over…”
(guess the movie quote, for those of you too young to understand the reference is to a movie)
Future Senator Bluto Blutarski (John Belushi) in Animal House.
“OK, now who’s with me? Let’s gooooooo!!!!!….what’s this? This isn’t the Delta-MDN-house I know…”
@Shock Me
When did the Germans bomb Pearl Harbour? Was it about the same time as Americans learnt to spell?
The comment was in reference to the film Animal House from the 1980s which depicts a member of a fictional 1960s fraternity member trying to motivate his brothers by referencing quite incorrectly instances of American responses to attacks. The scene is followed by a quizzical look from a senior brother and a response by a third telling him to keep quiet because Bluto “Was on a roll.”
Thank you so kindly for making an amusing scene in 30 year old movie into an excuse to bag on some Americans inability to spell.
That whooshing noise you heard was a classic film reference sailing clean over you head.
Pretentiousness is never you friend, particularly so when you missed the point.
We ought to hurt it, just not kill it, that way the fun might last forever 🙂
I never get tired of this … LOL
Keep it coming, MDN… I was there too and remember the self-righteous PC doofuses who took pleasure in prognosticating Apple’s “irrelevancy” and “imminent failure”.
I’m right there with you. The arrogance & self rightcious behavior was sickening.
There is still a lot of that out there. Foolishness persists like weeds in a vacant lot. You know the carpet bombing has begun, though, when you see SS (I mean MSFT) defectors like John Dvorak begin to slip under the barbed wire.
N E V E R G E T S O L D !!!
Never get sold?
/s 😉
I used to say this never gets old. Meh, it’s old.
Shut up! YOU’RE old!
Who’s laughing now Mikey? Hey Mikey, why the long face? Why is your foot firmly and permanently shoved deep into your big fat mouth?
Has Dell ever admitted he was dead wrong about Apple?
He hasn’t even realized he was yet.
So even on a down day, Apple still gained a dell of value!
Looks like MDN has an Inexhaustible supply of pixels for this story, cool!
BTW – BTW, what was Dell worth compared to Apple on October 6, 1997?
Dell’s stock price October 6, 1997:
Closing Price 12.34 Volume (000) 41,234,400
Day’s High 12.56 Currency US Dollar
Day’s Low 12.20 Exchange NASDAQ GS
Open 12.56 Date 10/06/97
Apple’s price was 4.37
What I was trying to ask was what was the market value of Apple compared to the market value of Dell. Market Cap.
Or 2.5 MSFTs.
But really… so much more than that.
What I would like to know is:
Back in 1997, when Mikey made this statement, what was Dell’s valle compared to Apples of 1997. (i.e.; how many times the value of Apple, was Dell??)
At that point, turnaround is fair play and by all means- let Dell have the same Harranging!
Way back when…
Apple hit the 2X multiplier when Dell was worth 63.8 Billion. Dell has lost 70 freaking percent of it’s value since that day.
In my opinion, Dell is still overvalued. 😀
Super lame company, super lame answer.
“When asked about his famous statement on Tuesday at a 2011 conference in San Francisco, Dell paused to ponder the question as the audience laughed loudly,” Milian reports. “‘It’s a great question and a great opportunity to clarify what I said,’ Dell said. ‘The meaning of my answer was that I am the CEO of Dell. I don’t think of being a CEO of any other company… I am not a CEO for hire,’ the Dell chief said.”
When Dell gets to zero, the headline will be what we’ve always known is the truth: “Apple is now and forever worth infinitely more than Dell.”
Maybe the judge will just award Dell to Apple…
MDN … Your memory is indeed so long and your bite is so, so deep … Dear Mikey, you be sure to have yet another great day … x33
Slow day at the office.
Apple Multiples of Dell Market Value, over time
35 • • • 30 • • • • 25 • • 20 • • • • • 15 • • • • • 10 • • • • • 5 • • • 1 • 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012+1
Real Networks will soon be 2x bigger than Dell.
Is this now a daily occurence?
Making up for years of the word ‘Apple’ being preceded by ‘beleaguered’. It’ll be real fun when this starts happening every few minutes.
The more frequently this multiplication of value occurs, the happier I am.
Keep these updates coming, MDN!
Say, MDN!
What was Dell”s market value at the time Mikey made that comment?
Paging MR DULLARD, HELLLOOOO were waiting for your response.
This story gets posted about once a week. I think it’s time for it to end. Dell is a non-entity almost, selling a few servers with RAID issues (google “raid puncture”) and decent monitors. That’s it. Time to be the bigger man and just not compare the two any more.
No! The pc stole Apple’s rightful throne, and we’ve been setback for decades. Computers could have been from the start more intuitive and more prevalently used by all socio-economic groups. Squash Dell especially for that ISIDAGTMBTTS. By the way, why hasn’t Dell done that yet, if it was so insightful.
MDN has been retarded. miserable. now, don’t compare with Dell. why don’t you compare with Samsung? well, you can’t. Samsung is the biggest electronic company in the world. why not? scare? I hope that Apple should be died. lawsuit isn’t the best way to compete with others.
Learning proper grammar might help get your point across better. In terms of market cap, Apple is about 3 times the size of the entire Samsung Group. But Samsung Electronics does have huge revenues. So although Apple doesn’t fear them I’m sure they an eye on them given they are a large customer of Samsung at the same time as Samsung competes with them.
Anyway, I would certainly vote to keep track of their relative market caps as well as annual revenue and profits. But Dell is much more fun because Lee Kun-hee never said what Mikey Dell did.