Michael Dell flies to Madeira the week his company lands a $9.7bn Pentagon deal

Michael Dell flew his Gulfstream G650ER, N228ZD, from an unidentified location to Porto Santo Airport in Madeira, Portugal, on June 20, a hop of just 11 minutes. The brief flight, tracked by Celebplanes, came as part of a longer transit that began in the New York area the previous day, with the jet subsequently flying to Porto Santo after a series of legs across the U.S. and Atlantic.

The short hop over Madeira lands the same week it was reported that Dell Technologies secured a $9.7 billion Pentagon contract to supply Microsoft software across the entire U.S. military, as broke by Euronews on May 28. The award came just weeks after President Donald Trump publicly urged Americans to “go out and buy a Dell” at a White House event, stirring ethics scrutiny given financial disclosures showing Trump held Dell shares. Michael Dell has maintained a low profile around his travel, and the Madeira stopover appears consistent with a private itinerary rather than a public business appearance on the island.

Michael Dell, who controls roughly 40% of Dell Technologies’ voting power, frequently shuttles between his homes in Texas, Hawaii, and New York. The brief Madeira leg may reflect a refueling or crew change on a transatlantic journey, though no specific event on the island is documented in public records.