Icahn’s bank is in the Dell

Carl Icahn has hired investment bank Jefferies to help fund a planned recapitalization of computer giant Dell Inc.

The billionaire financier (pictured) is said to have reached out to banks as part of an effort to raise as much as $5 billion to fund a restructuring of the Round Rock, Texas-based PC maker founded by 48-year old Michael Dell in his college dorm.

Icahn’s proposal would serve as an alternate to a buyout offer led by founder Dell and private equity firm Silver Lake Partners, which is currently favored by the company’s board.

Jefferies, with Icahn and Southeastern Asset Management, are in the process of asking lenders to commit to lending a portion of some $5.2 billion in debt, sources told The Post.

The firm is understood to have committed $1.6 billion to the bridge loan, Reuters reported.

Banks are being offered sweeteners to participate in any lending syndicate, including owning a piece of equity in Dell, sources close to the situation said.

Banks committing to the Icahn-Southeastern offer are being offered a normal upfront fee of 3.5 percent — plus an extra 7.5 percent of any incremental profit the two receive if Silver Lake prevails with an increased offer, sources said.

Talk of Icahn hiring a bank to fund his deal adds weight to the prominent activist’s proposals, which have been viewed as a thorn in the side of Dell’s board since he joined with Southeastern, an asset manager and a vocal shareholder, to oppose the $13.65 a share buyout offer.

Icahn and Southeastern claim its offer is insufficient. The two parties have advanced a recapitalization that would cost roughly $21 billion — and give shareholders the option of retaining equity in the company while granting shareholders a $12 dividend by tapping a stockpile of overseas money.

Icahn declined to comment on the deal and a call to a Jefferies spokesman was not immediately returned.

The billionaire activist has publicly said that he would be able to commit as much as $2 billion of his own dough to finance the restructuring.