Michael Dell founded Dell Inc. in 1984 out of his dorm room at the University of Texas at Austin. He began by selling IBM-compatible personal computers directly to customers, using a build-to-order model. This allowed Dell to eliminate costs associated with inventory and retailers. By 1996, Dell was the largest PC manufacturer in the world. Dell focused on serving business customers and individual consumers while pursuing an acquisition strategy in the late 1990s and 2000s. Michael Dell remains actively involved as CEO, overseeing Dell's continued innovation and global expansion.