Michael Dell, one year after taking company private

New York

A YEAR after spending US$24.9 billion taking his computer company private, Michael Dell is gleeful to have his namesake firm to himself. And to be done with Wall Street.

"This morning on the treadmill I was watching Bloomberg and CNBC, all the circus clowns," Mr Dell said in a recent interview. His disdain for investment advice as entertainment is obvious - so obvious that no one should have been surprised that to get away from Wall Street's influence, Mr Dell endured a monthslong, often personal campaign for a higher shareholder buyout price by corporate raider Carl Icahn.