dell

Dell is officially going private. After weeks of rumors, the company on Tuesday announced it had agreed to a buyout led by CEO Michael Dell, who started the company in 1984 in his UT-Austin dorm room, and private-equity firm Silver Lake Partners. The largest leveraged buyout since the financial crisis began in 2007, the $24.4 billion deal includes Microsoft's expected minority stake of $2 billion.

Under the terms of the agreement, Dell stockholders will be paid $13.65 per share. Dell will entertain competing offers for 45 days, but assuming no unforeseen changes, Michael Dell will remain CEO once the deal becomes official.