This situation did not last long, however. Rising sales coupled with rapidly falling net income caused Michael Dell to rethink his retirement and resume his role as CEO in January 2007. Although Michael Dell in 2010 owned only 11.7% of the corporation’s stock, at age 45, he owned the largest block of stock and continued to be the “heart and soul” of the firm. The rest of the directors and executive officers owned less than 1% of the stock.