Flashback: Remember When Michael Dell Said Apple Should Shut Down And Return Money To Shareholders?

When Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997, Michael Dell famously trashed the company with a killer quote.

When asked what he'd do with Apple if he were in Jobs' shoes, Dell said:

What would I do? I'd shut it down and give the money back to the shareholders.

Ouch!

Jobs had his own say in the matter, reportedly telling Apple employees at the time, "F--- Michael Dell."

Today, Dell (the company) was forced to go private, taking a $2 billion loan from Microsoft and investments from Silver Lake and Michael Dell.

Well, there's some vindication for Apple.