Why did Dell Technologies decide to spin off VMWare?

lPlease read article and answer 3 questions below.

Key words and Definitions
Spin-off occurs when one company creates a new distinct firm from one of its divisions.
Special cash dividend a one time, or special, distribution of cash to shareholders.
Capital structure a firms mix of debt and equity used to finance its assets.
Summary: Key Points in the Article.
Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell announced that the firm will spin off its 81% ownership stake in VMWare. The two firms will become distinct entities and the move is expected to generate over $9 billion for Dell. However, the two firms will continue their strategic partnership with Dell focusing on hardware while VMWare will focus on cloud computing and virtualization software.
Dell acquired VMWare as part of its 2015 $67 billion acquisition of EMC. However, now Dells hardware business has seen a significant pandemic boost as demand soared for home computing equipment. While Dells stock is up over 83% in the past 12 to 14 months Michael Dell stated that the market did not appear to appreciate a firm that focused on both hardware and software.
As part of the spin-off VMWare will distribute a special cash dividend of about $12 billion to its shareholders. Dell will receive approximately $9.5 billion of that amount for its ownership stake in the firm. Dell will use the money to pay down debt and improve its credit profile by simplifying its capital structure. Michael Dell stated the spin-off would let each firm focus on their specific high growth areas and unlock significant value for stakeholders.
Article for Review:
https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/14/tech/dell-technologies-vmware-spinoff/index.html
Thinking Critically Questions:
Why did Dell Technologies decide to spin off VMWare?
Why will the shareholders of VMWare receive a special cash dividend?
What factor has improved Dells financial position in the past year?

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