To the chagrin of the channel, Michael Dell has grown his business from a hobby at college, to a billion dollar empire by evangelising the direct model.

When I first met him, he told me that he used to hide computer equipment in his bathroom at college when his parents came to visit so they wouldn't find out he was up to. They wanted him to go to medical school, Michael had other plans!

Since then, Dell, facilitated by the rise of the Internet, hasn't done a bad job. So if you want to share some air with one of the IT industry's greatest entrepreneurs he's back in Vegas this year at CES.

When: 2:30 p.m. Thursday, January 5,

Where: Sands Hotel: Venetian/Galileo 904