Billionaire Michael Dell and his wife Susan quietly did what too many in Washington won’t: they put real money behind a pro-family policy that empowers parents and rewards saving. The Dells announced a $6.25 billion pledge to seed the new “Trump accounts,” putting $250 into the investment accounts of roughly 25 million American children so families can start building wealth immediately. This private boost complements the federal plan unveiled this year and shows the private sector can be a partner in restoring opportunity for the next generation.
Conservatives should celebrate this as a model of patriotic philanthropy, not denigrate it as optics or political theater. When private citizens and families take responsibility for futures rather than relying on endless government handouts, our country is stronger for it. The left’s reflexive hostility to any program that pairs government with private initiative will be exposed when this actually helps kids afford college, a first home, or start a small business. No one should apologize for initiatives that lift people up instead of trapping them in dependency.
Here are the facts worth remembering: the accounts were created as part of the administration’s budget package and the Treasury plans to deposit $1,000 into accounts for children born between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2028, with the program slated to launch July 4, 2026. The Dells’ money is aimed at children who missed that birth window and will mostly benefit kids 10 and under, using low-cost index funds to give every child a stake in America’s economic future. Turning savings into seed capital is commonsense conservatism—teach people to fish, and don’t demonize the fishermen.
The Dells have targeted this money to reach kids in ZIP codes with median household incomes under $150,000, which is a smart way to get help where it’s most likely to matter. Families will still have to opt in and activate accounts, which preserves personal responsibility and prevents automatic dependency. This isn’t some cradle-to-grave entitlement; it’s a head start for children and an invitation to parents to invest alongside the public and private commitments being made.
Let’s be clear: conservatives should push for transparency and guardrails so the accounts aren’t co-opted or mismanaged, but we should also be first in line to defend good, pro-family policy that expands opportunity. Critics who only see government spending and not long-term wealth creation are letting ideology blind them to results. If government policy nudges millions of families to save and employers and philanthropists match that spirit, the result will be stronger, freer communities—not the expanded welfare state the left prefers.
For hardworking parents, the payoff could be literal and generational: funds will be accessible at 18 for education, homebuying, or starting a business, and the accounts allow further voluntary contributions so disciplined savers can turn a small seed into real capital. That kind of flexibility respects family choices and economic liberty, unlike one-size-fits-all federal programs that too often come with strings attached. Encourage your employer to offer matches, teach your kids about saving, and don’t let the media narrative scare you off from claiming what’s yours.
Michael and Susan Dell didn’t do this for headlines; they did it to build hope and incentive in communities often ignored by elite policy debates. Conservatives should applaud and amplify this example—then get to work persuading others in the private sector to follow suit. When patriots, philanthropists, and policymakers join forces to put capital in the hands of tomorrow’s Americans, we reclaim the future from the forces that want to redistribute it away.
