19 Sources
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Trump says Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan must 'resign immediately' | TechCrunch
Amidst heightening tensions with China, U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday insisted that Intel's CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, must step down, accusing Tan of harboring conflicts of interest. "The CEO of INTEL is highly CONFLICTED and must resign, immediately. There is no other solution to this problem. Thank you for your attention to this problem!" Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social. Trump did not share any evidence or details of why Tan may have conflicts of interest. Trump's post comes after Republican Senator Tom Cotton on Wednesday wrote to Intel's board of directors, asking about Tan's alleged ties to China, his investments in the country, and raised concerns about his time leading Cadence Design Systems, which had a Chinese military university as a customer. Tan, who took over the helm in March, has been focusing on improving efficiency at the chipmaker, which has lost ground to companies like Nvidia and AMD in the AI chip race. Tan has since laid off thousands of staff, spiked plans for new manufacturing plants, and is trying to sell non-core subsidiaries as he tries to return the company to being an engineering-first venture. Notably, Intel was a major part of the Biden administration's CHIPS Act, promised almost $8 billion to set up manufacturing and packaging projects in facilities across Arizona, New Mexico, Ohio, and Oregon. Intel did not immediately return a request for comment.
[2]
Trump demands CEO of Intel resign over ties to China
Tan was named Intel's CEO in March to overhaul the struggling chipmaker's business, after the board ejected his predecessor, Pat Gelsinger, three and a half years into a projected four-year turnaround plan. Under Gelsinger, Intel fell further behind TSMC as its competitor capitalized on EUV lithography -- technology that Intel had invested in developing -- to take the lead in next-generation chips and AI. Last month, Intel said it's laying off 24,000 employees this year and axing planned projects in Germany and Poland.
[3]
Trump holds high-stakes meeting with Intel CEO after calling for his resignation
Aug 11 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said he met with Intel (INTC.O), opens new tab CEO Lip-Bu Tan on Monday, days after seeking his resignation, praising Tan and calling the meeting "a very interesting one." Shares of the chipmaker rose 3% in extended trading. Last week, Trump had demanded the immediate resignation of Tan, calling him "highly conflicted" over his ties to Chinese firms, injecting uncertainty into the chipmaker's years-long turnaround effort. Trump said he met with Tan, along with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. His cabinet members and Tan were going to bring suggestions to him next week, Trump said in a post on Truth Social. "His success and rise is an amazing story," Trump said about Tan. Tan had invested in hundreds of Chinese firms, some of which were linked to the Chinese military, Reuters reported exclusively in April. It is not illegal for U.S. citizens to hold stakes in Chinese companies unless they have been added to the U.S. Treasury's Chinese Military-Industrial Complex Companies List, which explicitly bans such investments. Tan has been tasked to undo years of missteps that left Intel struggling to make inroads in the booming AI chip industry dominated by Nvidia, while investment-heavy contract manufacturing ambitions led to hefty losses. In the roughly six months as Intel CEO, Tan made major strategic shifts that included divesting assets, laying off employees and redirecting resources. But the demand for Tan's resignation will only distract him from that task, investors and a former senior employee have told Reuters. Tan is now making an effort to reassure Trump that he remains the right person to revive the storied American chipmaker. Tan met with Trump for a candid and constructive discussion on the company's commitment to strengthening U.S. technology and manufacturing leadership, Intel said in a statement. The company said it would work closely with the administration to "restore this great American company." Trump's intervention marked a rare instance of a U.S. president publicly calling for a CEO's ouster and raised questions about his control over corporate affairs. This was also evident in an agreement calling for Nvidia and AMD to give the U.S. government 15% of revenue from China sales. Reporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; Reporting by Arsheeya Bajwa and Jaspreet Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Leslie Adler and Sriraj Kalluvila Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab
[4]
Trump flip-flops on Intel CEO, calls him 'success' days after demanding resignation
President Donald Trump said Monday that he and members of his cabinet met with Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan, days after he called on the head of the chipmaker to resign. Intel shares rose 2% in extended trading. "I met with Mr. Lip-Bu Tan, of Intel, along with Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, and Secretary of the Treasury, Scott Bessent," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. "The meeting was a very interesting one. His success and rise is an amazing story. Mr. Tan and my Cabinet members are going to spend time together, and bring suggestions to me during the next week. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" Intel didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Tan has been an Intel director since 2022, and in March he replaced Pat Gelsinger as CEO. Last week Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., questioned Tan's ties to China. Cotton brought up a past criminal case involving Cadence Design, where Tan had been CEO. Trump's message marks a stark change in tone from last week. In a Truth Social post on Thursday, the president wrote that Tan "is highly CONFLICTED and must resign, immediately. There is no other solution to this problem." Intel said in a comment later that day that the company, directors and Tan are "deeply committed to advancing U.S. national and economic security interests." The Trump administration has taken a heavy hand in the business world, particularly in the semiconductor market, as the U.S. battles with China for supremacy in artificial intelligence. Over the weekend, Nvidia agreed to pay the federal government a 15% cut in return for receiving export control licenses that will allow it to once again sell its H20 chip to China and Chinese companies. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang visited Trump in the White House on Friday. President Trump on Monday said that he initially asked Nvidia for a 20% cut of the chipmaker's sales to China, but the number came down to 15% after CEO Jensen Huang negotiated with him. "I said, 'listen, I want 20% if I'm going to approve this for you, for the country,'" Trump said at a news conference in Washington, D.C. Tan, 65, took over Intel after the struggling chipmaker had failed to gain significant traction in the AI market, which Nvidia dominates, while it was burning cash to build its foundry business for chip manufacturing. Tan said in late July that his first few months as Intel's CEO had not been easy, with layoffs and cuts to the foundry division. Intel canceled plans for manufacturing sites in Germany and Poland and would slow down development in Ohio, he told employees. "Turning the company around will take time and require patience," Tan said on a conference call with analysts in July. "We have a lot to fix in order to move the company forward." -- CNBC's Fred Imbert contributed to this report.
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Who is Lip-Bu Tan, the Intel CEO in Trump's Cross Hairs?
Intel's board entrusted Lip-Bu Tan, the company's newly appointed chief executive, with leading a high-stakes turnaround of the struggling American chipmaker. But in a highly unusual turn of events, President Trump on Thursday called on the Malaysian-born chief executive to resign, writing on Truth Social that Mr. Tan was "highly CONFLICTED" because of his past investments in Chinese companies. It was one of the first times that Mr. Trump has attempted to directly intervene with the leadership of a major publicly traded company. Here's what to know. Who is Lip-Bu Tan? Mr. Tan, 65, is an American citizen who was born in Malaysia and grew up in Singapore. He came to the United States for graduate school at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he earned a master's degree in nuclear engineering. Later, Mr. Tan moved to San Francisco where he ran a venture capital firm, Walden International. Mr. Tan focused much of his attention on Asia, especially on the rise of Taiwan and China as hubs of chip making and design. Walden International has invested $5 billion over 30 years, sinking money into 600 companies in 12 countries. Many of Walden's deals were in China, where Mr. Tan's knowledge of Mandarin and extensive network of contacts proved useful. He was an early investor and former board member of Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, a leading Chinese chip maker. Why was he chosen as Intel's chief executive? Mr. Tan's résumé includes a deep knowledge of the semiconductor industry, where he had engineered a successful corporate turnaround before. For 12 years, through 2021, he was the chief executive of Cadence Design Systems, a Silicon Valley maker of the software used to design chips. During his tenure, the company became a leader in the field, with revenue tripling and its stock price soaring. Intel, which was founded in 1968 and made its fortune as the dominant chipmaker of the personal computer era, has struggled badly in recent years. The company, whose headquarters are in Santa Clara, Calif., is no longer a leader in chip manufacturing technology, having fallen behind its rival Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation. And Intel missed waves of product innovation in the markets for chips used in smartphones and artificial intelligence. What has he done so far? In his first months in charge, Mr. Tan has said he plans to narrow the focus of the company, pulling back on building some new factories and stating that he wouldn't commit to manufacturing leading-edge chips without orders for them from external customers. The slow progress on that immensely costly strategy prompted the board to oust Mr. Tan's predecessor, Patrick Gelsinger. Last month, Mr. Tan said Intel would lay off 15 percent of its work force. He added that the company's product efforts would focus on making inroads in the market for A.I. chips, regaining share in personal computer chips and improving the performance of its chip manufacturing technology. Mr. Tan must also manage Intel's sensitive relationship with and financial dependence on the federal government. Under the CHIPS Act, a bipartisan law, Intel was awarded $8.5 billion in federal funding to build plants in Arizona, Ohio and New Mexico. But its business challenges have raised questions about its ability to complete those projects. In a short time, Mr. Tan has managed to turn a trio of forces against him, making what was already a difficult job even harder, five people familiar with the company's dynamics said, including former employees and industry advisers. The board has grown frustrated with his failure to articulate a strategy for Intel's business. Employees have grown frustrated with his lack of communication and plan to eliminate nearly thousands of jobs. And Washington power brokers, including Mr. Trump and Senator Tom Cotton, Republican from Arkansas, who is the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, have grown frustrated with his failure to cut ties to investments in China, among other issues. Intel declined to comment. Why is he in the cross hairs of President Trump? In a post on Truth Social last week, Mr. Trump called the executive conflicted because of the investments Mr. Tan has made in Chinese companies, adding that he should resign immediately. There "is no other solution," Mr. Trump posted. It is not illegal for American citizens to invest in Chinese companies, but Mr. Trump has signaled interest in clamping down on such investments. In July, the U.S. Department of Justice said that Cadence Design Systems, the company Mr. Tan previously led, would plead guilty to illegally selling its technology to a Chinese university with ties to the Chinese military. Mr. Tan was not named in the indictment, but Senator Cotton was among those who expressed concerns that the sales had taken place under his tenure. In 2023, a congressional committee requested information about Walden International's investments in companies that the U.S. government had blacklisted over national security concerns. What has been Mr. Tan's response? In a statement last week, Mr. Tan said "misinformation" had been circulating about his past roles at Walden International and Cadence. Mr. Tan also declared his loyalty to America. "The United States has been my home for more than 40 years," he wrote. "I love this country and am profoundly grateful for the opportunities it has given me." He also said he had the support of Intel's board. Silicon Valley, where Mr. Tan has long been a highly respected figure, is rooting for him, despite the presidential pressure. In an opinion piece for The Financial Times on Sunday, Michael Moritz, a prominent technology investor, wrote, "Let's hope that Intel's overseers abide by the refrain of that old Tammy Wynette song and continue to 'stand by their man.'"
[6]
Trump Live Updates: President Orders Law Enforcement Surge in D.C.
Mr. Trump called Mr. Tan "highly CONFLICTED," in a post on Truth Social, an apparent reference to his reported investments in Chinese companies, which U.S. lawmakers have scrutinized since he was appointed to lead Intel in March. In the post, Mr. Trump called for Mr. Tan to resign immediately, saying there "is no other solution to this problem." It was a noteworthy statement by Mr. Trump, who regularly lobs criticisms and threats at private companies but rarely attempts to interfere so directly and specifically in their inner workings. A day earlier, the president had threatened to impose a 100 percent tariff on many foreign-made semiconductors, an effort to bring more manufacturing to the United States. Later on Thursday, Mr. Tan reiterated his commitment to leading Intel in a letter sent to company employees and published on the Intel website. "The United States has been my home for more than 40 years. I love this country and am profoundly grateful for the opportunities it has given me," he wrote. He also said he had the support of Intel's board. Mr. Tan, an American citizen who was born in Malaysia and grew up in Singapore, is a prominent tech leader in Silicon Valley who previously ran the venture capital firm Walden International and was the chief executive of Cadence Design Systems, a main maker of the software used in designing chips. In March, he was appointed chief executive of Intel and charged with reviving the fortunes of the troubled American semiconductor manufacturer. Mr. Tan has faced scrutiny in recent years for his investments in Chinese artificial intelligence and semiconductor companies, including some that U.S. officials say have ties to the Chinese military. It is not illegal for American citizens to invest in Chinese companies, but Mr. Trump has signaled interest in clamping down on such investments. In July, the U.S. Department of Justice said that Cadence Design Systems, the company Mr. Tan previously led, would plead guilty to illegally selling its technology to a Chinese university with ties to the Chinese military. Mr. Tan was not named in the indictment, but Senator Tom Cotton was among those who expressed concerns that the sales had taken place under his tenure. In 2023, a congressional committee requested information about Walden International's investments in companies that the U.S. government had blacklisted over national security concerns. In his statement on Thursday, Mr. Tan said "misinformation" was circulating about his past roles at those two companies. "I have always operated within the highest legal and ethical standards," he said. He added that he was engaging with the administration "to address the matters that have been raised and ensure they have the facts." "I fully share the President's commitment to advancing U.S. national and economic security," Mr. Tan said.
[7]
Trump Demands Intel CEO's Resignation, Says He's 'Highly CONFLICTED'
President Donald Trump posted on social media that Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan should resign 'immediately.' President Donald Trump this morning called for the immediate resignation of Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan, alleging he has conflicts of interest. This latest setback for the struggling computer chip company couldn't have come at a worse time, as Intel is in the middle of attempting a comeback. “The CEO of INTEL is highly CONFLICTED and must resign, immediately. There is no other solution to this problem,†Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. Trump’s post comes as Tan has been attempting to stage a turnaround at Intel after the company initially missed out on the early wave of the AI boom. Tan became CEO of the company this past March. Intel did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Gizmodo regarding Trump's post. Trump’s comments also come just a day after Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas sent a letter to Intel's Board Chairman Frank Yeary, asking questions about Tan’s investments in Chinese chip companies and their alleged ties to China's government and military. He also raised specific concerns about Tan’s former role as CEO of Cadence Design Systems, a position he held for 13 years until 2021. In July, the company pleaded guilty to violating U.S. export controls by selling hardware and software to China’s National University of Defense Technology without obtaining the required licenses. “Intel was awarded nearly $8 billion from the CHIPS and Science Act, the largest grant to a single company,†Cotton wrote in the letter. “Intel is required to be a responsible steward of American taxpayer dollars and to comply with applicable security regulations. Mr. Tan’s associations raise questions about Intel’s ability to fulfill these obligations.†In response to the letter, Intel told Reuters on Wednesday that both the company and Tan are “deeply committed to the national security of the United States,†and that they would address the issues in the letter with Cotton. This isn’t the first time the Trump Administration has sought to influence business leaders and pick winners and losers in the corporate world. Since the start of his second term, Trump has used tariffs and trade policy as tools to push companies to invest more in the United States. CEOs like Apple’s Tim Cook, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos have all met with Trump in efforts to advance their own business agendas. Just last month, Tan had outlined his plan to reduce headcount and cut spending to make Intel more competitive with its rivals. Tan told employees in a staff-wide memo that the company will cut its workforce by roughly 15% by the end of the year and scrapped plans for new factories in Germany and Poland. “I know the past few months have not been easy. We are making hard but necessary decisions to streamline the organization, drive greater efficiency and increase accountability at every level of the company,†Tan wrote in the memo. As far as its AI ambitions, Tan said the company needs to develop a cohesive stack strategyâ€"not just chips, but also the software and systems to support them. “Our starting point will be emerging AI workloads â€" then we will work backward to design software, systems and silicon that enable the best customer outcomes,†Tan wrote. Now, with the President against him, Tan's plans of getting Intel back on track have just become a lot harder.
[8]
Trump calls for Intel CEO to resign
President says the chief executive of the chip giant is "conflicted" over his investments in China. President Donald Trump called for Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan to resign Thursday, citing controversy over his investments in China. "The CEO of INTEL is highly CONFLICTED and must resign, immediately. There is no other solution to this problem. Thank you for your attention to this problem!" Trump wrote on Truth Social on Thursday morning. Trump's post marks an extraordinary intervention in a private-sector company, and an escalation of his years-long practice of pressuring companies through his social media bully pulpit. Trump's criticisms of companies on X and Truth Social have temporarily tanked their stock prices. If Tan steps down, the ouster would be another display of the ways Trump has expanded the traditional boundaries of presidential power. Trump has used social media to announce plans to fire government employees. Just last week, he announced his plans to oust head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Truth Social. The White House did not immediately specify Trump's concerns, but the president's demand came after Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) sent a letter to Intel's board chair this week saying there were national security concerns over Tan's business ties to China. Cotton wrote that Tan's investments raised questions over whether Intel could be a responsible steward of American taxpayer dollars" and if it could comply with applicable security regulations. Reuters reported in April that Tan, a Malaysian-born naturalized American executive, had investments in hundreds of Chinese tech firms. While investments in China have not been unusual for tech industry executives, they are increasingly under scrutiny amid a tense race in AI technologies. The role of chips as a dual-use technology -- critical for both the civilian economy and the military -- also increases the sensitivity for the sector's investment ties. Intel's performance struggles have been under U.S. policymakers' microscope. The company is the largest recipient of billions of dollars in grants under the CHIPS and Science Act, a major bipartisan program to improve the competitiveness of the U.S. computer chip industry, with implications for the AI race. Despite the federal grants, Intel said last month it will lay off 15 percent of its staff as it pivots toward AI chips. Trump has frequently criticized the CHIPS Act grants to companies like Intel, claiming that tariffs are a more effective way to pressure companies to shift production to the United States. On Wednesday, Trump announced a 100 percent tariff on all computer chips imported to the United States, except for companies that commit to "building" on U.S. soil. The administration has sought to renegotiate the previous administration's grants to chip companies that they described as "overly generous," Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick testified on Capitol Hill in June.
[9]
Trump calls for resignation of Intel chief a day after 100% chip tariff threat
Intel share price drops after US president accuses Lip-Bu Tang of links to Chinese Communist party Donald Trump has called on Intel's chief executive to resign, alleging Lip-Bu Tan had ties to the Chinese Communist party, sending the stock of the US chipmaker falling. "The CEO of Intel is highly CONFLICTED and must resign, immediately," Trump posted on Truth Social about Tan. "There is no other solution to this problem. Thank you for your attention to this problem!" Shares in Intel dropped more than 3% in early trading. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump's post. Trump's comments came a day after he threatened a 100% tariff on imported semiconductors and chips, which could favor Intel as a US-based semiconductor firm. Trump did exclude Taiwan Semiconductor and Apple, companies that have said they plan to increase their investments in US manufacturing. Apple chief Tim Cook announced from the White House that the company would invest $100bn in US chip fabrication. Trump's criticism of Intel, which has lagged chipmakers such as Nvidia in producing graphics-processing chips suitable for AI applications, comes after Arkansas senator Tom Cotton wrote a letter to company chairman Frank Yeary expressing concern over Tan's investments and ties to semiconductor firms that are reportedly linked to the CCP and the People's Liberation Army, the party's military arm. Cotton, a Republican, asked Intel's board if Tan had divested his interests and questioned if Tan's previous leadership of Cadence Design Systems, a company that last month said it had sold products to China's National University of Defense Technology, a violation of US export controls. Cotton said Tan controlled dozens of Chinese companies, at least eight of which had ties to the People's Liberation Army. In a statement, the company said: "Intel and Mr Tan are deeply committed to the national security of the United States and the integrity of our role in the US defense ecosystem. We appreciate Senator Cotton's focus on these shared priorities. We look forward to addressing these matters with the senator." Tan, 65, is regarded as an industry veteran in technology and venture capital. He was tapped to lead the once-dominant personal computing and laptop chipmaker in March as part of a turnaround effort. Intel's market valuation is about $89bn, compared with $4.4tn for rival Nvidia. Tan, 65, has said he wants to sell off Intel assets that are not core to the company's revitalization, cut jobs and to delay or cancel projects to reduce operating expenses. Intel has received about $8bn from the Chips and Science Act for US investments, the Biden-era legislation framed as a national security imperative to reduce US dependence on foreign chip production. A number of foreign-based chipmakers have recently announced they are boosting US chip production , including Taiwan's TSMC and South Korea's Samsung. Beneficiaries of the Chips Act besides Intel include TSMC, Micron Technology, Samsung, GlobalFoundries and Texas Instruments. But the $1bn grants are dwarfed by more than $400bn in pledged private-sector investments. The Trump administration wants Congress to scrap the Chips Act, arguing that tariffs are a more effective incentive for companies to build fabrication plants on US soil, pointing to TSMC's decision to expand its chipmaking capacity from three to six plants in Arizona.
[10]
Intel shares slump after Trump calls on CEO to resign over China ties
Shares of Intel slumped Thursday after President Donald Trump said in a social media post that the chipmaker's CEO needs to resign. "The CEO of Intel is highly CONFLICTED and must resign, immediately," Trump posted on Truth Social. "There is no other solution to this problem. Thank you for your attention to this problem!" Trump made the post after Sen. Tom Cotton sent a letter to Intel Chairman Frank Yeary expressing concern over CEO Lip-Bu Tan's investments and ties to semiconductor firms that are reportedly linked to the Chinese Communist Party and the People's Liberation Army, and asked the board whether Tan had divested his interests in these companies to eliminate any conflicts of interest. Intel did not immediately respond to a request for comment, so it is not immediately clear if Tan has divested his interests in the companies. "In March 2025, Intel appointed Lip-Bu Tan as its new CEO," Cotton wrote in the letter. "Mr. Tan reportedly controls dozens of Chinese companies and has a stake in hundreds of Chinese advanced-manufacturing and chip firms. At least eight of these companies reportedly have ties to the Chinese People's Liberation Army." Tan, who took over as CEO in March, previously launched the venture capital firm Walden International in 1987 to focus on funding tech start-ups, including chip makers. China's state media has described Tan as "actively" devoted to Chinese and Asian markets, having invested not only in the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company but also China's state-owned enterprise SMIC, which seeks to advance China's chipmaking capabilities. The demands made by Trump and Cotton come as economic and political rivalries between the U.S. and China increasingly focus on the competition over chips, AI and other digital technologies that experts say will shape future economies and military conflicts. Cotton, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has raised concerns that Chinese spies could be working at tech companies and defense contractors, using their positions to steal secrets or plant digital backdoors that give China access to classified systems and networks. On Thursday the Arkansas Republican wrote to the Department of Defense urging Defense Secrectary Pete Hegseth to ban all non-U.S. citizens from jobs allowing them to access DoD networks. He has also demanded an investigation into Chinese citizens working for defense contractors. "The U.S. government recognizes that China's cyber capabilities pose one of the most aggressive and dangerous threats to the United States, as evidenced by infiltration of our critical infrastructure, telecommunications networks, and supply chains," Cotton wrote in an earlier letter calling on the Pentagon to conduct the investigation. National security officials have linked China's government to hacking campaigns targeting prominent Americans and critical U.S. systems. "U.S. companies who receive government grants should be responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars and adhere to strict security regulations," Cotton wrote on the social platform X. Intel had been a beneficiary of the Biden administration's CHIPS Act, receiving more than $8 billion in federal funding to build computer chip plants around the country. Shares of the California company slid 3.5%, while markets, particularly the tech-heavy Nasdaq, gained ground. Founded in 1968 at the start of the PC revolution, Intel missed the technological shift to mobile computing triggered by Apple's 2007 release of the iPhone, and it's lagged more nimble chipmakers. Intel's troubles have been magnified since the advent of artificial intelligence -- a booming field where the chips made by once-smaller rival Nvidia have become tech's hottest commodity. Intel is shedding thousands of workers and cutting expenses -- including some domestic semiconductor manufacturing capabilities -- as Tan tries to revive the fortunes of the struggling chipmaker.
[11]
Trump accuses Intel CEO of being 'highly conflicted,' demands resignation as Tom Cotton highlights reporting into China ties
"The CEO of Intel is highly CONFLICTED and must resign, immediately. There is no other solution to this problem. Thank you for your attention to this problem!" Trump wrote Thursday morning. Tan only took the helm at Intel in March 2025, and his appointment was initially welcomed by investors, with Intel's stock rising as much as 15% following his start. Tan took over from Pat Gelsinger, long considered a star CEO in the chips and semiconductor space, who was reportedly forced out by the board, which had grown frustrated with the former leader in the chips space losing market share to Nvidia. By late July, Tan sent a memo to employees informing them of significant ongoing layoffs and other cost-cutting measures, and shares were trading below their springtime level by that point. On Thursday, shares fell as much as 3% in premarket trading after Trump's post. The conflict centers on Tan's financial and professional ties to Chinese companies, particularly those with links to China's military and technology sector. According to a Reuters investigation in April, Tan -- either directly or via his venture funds -- has invested at least $200 million in at least 20 Chinese advanced manufacturing and semiconductor firms between 2012 and 2024. The probe identified several companies with links to the Chinese People's Liberation Army. These revelations gained new urgency after Sen. Cotton sent an open letter to Intel's board, also reported by Reuters, questioning Tan's allegiances and whether the company could be trusted with nearly $8 billion in federal subsidies under the CHIPS and Science Act -- money designed to shore up domestic chip fabrication critical to U.S. security, finalized during the Biden administration. Cotton's letter demanded to know whether Intel had required Tan to divest any interests in Chinese technology companies or firms tied to China's Communist Party and its armed forces. The senator referenced not just Tan's investments, but also his leadership of Cadence Design Systems, a major chip design company. Less than two weeks before Cotton's letter, in late July, Cadence admitted to violating export rules by providing technology to a Chinese military university and agreed to pay a $140 million fine as a result. Trump's demand comes just one day after he announced plans to impose a 100% tariff on imported computer chips, part of his broader economic campaign against reliance on foreign -- especially Chinese -- technology, with America's lead in chips a key tension point. Trump's comments are also stoking new leadership drama for Intel, which has already cycled through several CEOs and directors in recent years amid fierce competition from Nvidia, AMD, and Samsung. The dustup threatens to further destabilize Intel at a critical moment. The company, which once dominated the global chip market, has been battling to regain its competitive edge in artificial intelligence processors and advanced semiconductor manufacturing. Just days before Trump's remarks, Intel said it was separating its networking division to streamline its operations under Tan's leadership. Intel has pledged $100 billion toward U.S. chip manufacturing and packaging, with major projects in Arizona, Ohio, Oregon, and New Mexico. The company received almost $8 billion in direct CHIPS Act funding for these expansions. Companies including Micron Technology, Samsung and Apple have also have pledged large-scale investments for American manufacturing. Several former board members of Intel criticized the company's performance in a commentary for Fortune earlier this week, arguing that "U.S. advanced semiconductor manufacturing has been withering for some time," wrote Charlene Barshefsky, a former U.S. Trade Representative, Reed Hundt, a former chair of the Federal Communications Commission, James Plummer, a former Dean of Engineering at Stanford, and David Yoffie, a professor at Harvard Business School. "The once-leading Intel appears to be dropping out of the race. Missed deadlines, poor execution, and a misguided strategy to retain manufacturing within Intel while also serving as a foundry for its fabless chip competitors resulted in a dearth of customers." Intel did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
[12]
Intel's stock tumbles after President Trump says its CEO must resign
Trump said on his Truth Social platform that Lip-Bu Tan was "highly conflicted", but did not elaborate. The president was seemingly accusing Tan of holding problematic ties with the Chinese Communist party. Intel shares slumped on Thursday after President Donald Trump said in a social media post that the chipmaker's CEO needed to resign. "The CEO of Intel is highly conflicted and must resign, immediately," Trump posted on Truth Social. "There is no other solution to this problem. Thank you for your attention to this problem!" Trump made the post after Senator Tom Cotton sent a letter to Intel Chairman Frank Yeary, expressing concern over CEO Lip-Bu Tan's investments and ties to semiconductor firms that are reportedly linked to the Chinese Communist Party and the People's Liberation Army. Cotton asked the board whether Tan had divested his interests in these companies to eliminate any conflicts of interest. It's not immediately clear if Tan, who took over as Intel's CEO in March, has done so. In a statement, Intel said it was "deeply committed to advancing US national and economic security interests". The firm said it was making "significant investments aligned with the President's America First agenda". "In March 2025, Intel appointed Lip-Bu Tan as its new CEO," Cotton wrote in the letter. "Mr. Tan reportedly controls dozens of Chinese companies and has a stake in hundreds of Chinese advanced-manufacturing and chip firms. At least eight of these companies reportedly have ties to the Chinese People's Liberation Army." Cotton specifically called out Tan's recent leadership of Cadence Design Systems in the letter. According to the US Department of Justice, Cadence, agreed in July to plead guilty to resolve charges that it violated export controls rules to sell hardware and software to China's National University of Defense Technology, which is linked to the Chinese military. Tan was the CEO of Cadence when the company violated the rules between 2015 and 2021. The US Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security also fined Cadence $95 million for the same breaches, saying Cadence admitted that "employees of its Chinese subsidiary knowingly transferred sensitive US technology to entities that develop supercomputers in support of China's military modernisation and nuclear weapons programs." Cadence did not immediately respond to AP requests. Tan previously launched the venture capital firm Walden International in 1987 to focus on funding tech start-ups, including chip makers. China's state media has described Tan as "actively" devoted to Chinese and Asian markets, having invested not only in the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, but also China's state-owned enterprise SMIC, which seeks to advance China's chipmaking capabilities. The demands made by Trump and Cotton come as economic and political rivalries between the US and China increasingly focus on the competition over chips, AI and other digital technologies that experts say will shape future economies and military conflicts. Cotton, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has raised concerns that Chinese spies could be working at tech companies and defence contractors, using their positions to steal secrets or plant digital backdoors that give China access to classified systems and networks. On Thursday the Arkansas Republican wrote to the Department of Defense, urging Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to ban all non-US citizens from jobs allowing them to access DoD networks. He has also demanded an investigation into Chinese citizens working for defence contractors. "The US government recognises that China's cyber capabilities pose one of the most aggressive and dangerous threats to the United States, as evidenced by infiltration of our critical infrastructure, telecommunications networks, and supply chains," Cotton wrote in an earlier letter, calling on the Pentagon to conduct the investigation. National security officials have linked China's government to hacking campaigns targeting prominent Americans and critical US systems. "US companies who receive government grants should be responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars and adhere to strict security regulations," Cotton wrote on the social platform X. Intel had been a beneficiary of the Biden administration's CHIPS Act, receiving more than $8 billion (€6.9bn) in federal funding to build computer chip plants around the country. Shares of the California company slid 3.5%, while markets, particularly the tech-heavy Nasdaq, gained ground. Founded in 1968 at the start of the PC revolution, Intel missed the technological shift to mobile computing triggered by Apple's 2007 release of the iPhone, and it has lagged behind more nimble chipmakers. Intel's troubles have been magnified since the advent of artificial intelligence -- a booming field where the chips made by once-smaller rival Nvidia have become tech's hottest commodity. Intel is shedding thousands of workers and cutting expenses, including some domestic semiconductor manufacturing capabilities, as Tan tries to revive the fortunes of the struggling chipmaker.
[13]
Trump demands resignation of Intel CEO over China ties
Lip-Bu Tan, chief executive officer of Intel Corp., during a conference in Taipei, Taiwan, on May 19. Annabelle Chih / Bloomberg via Getty Images President Donald Trump on Thursday demanded that the CEO of tech firm Intel resign immediately, saying he is "highly conflicted." "There is no other solution to this problem," Trump wrote on Truth Social. Intel shares fell more than 2% before markets opened. Trump's attack on the Intel chief is his latest attempt to pressure the semiconductor industry, which has fueled the boom in artificial intelligence. On Wednesday, he said he would hit computer chips made outside the United States with a 100% tariff. The demand also comes after Sen. Tom Cotton wrote to Intel Chairman Frank Yeary to "express concerns about the security and integrity of Intel's operations and its potential impact on U.S. national security." Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas, claims in the letter that Intel's recently named CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, "reportedly controls dozens of Chinese companies and has a stake in hundreds of Chinese advanced-manufacturing and chip firms. At least eight of these companies reportedly have ties to the Chinese People's Liberation Army." Cotton asked Intel whether it asked Tan to "divest from his positions in semiconductor firms linked to the Chinese Communist Party or the People's Liberation Army and any other concerning entities in China that could pose a conflict of interest?" Cotton also asked the company if it was aware of any subpoenas that Tan's former firm received and if Tan has disclosed any other ties to China. Intel has not responded to NBC News' request for comment on Cotton's letter and Trump's social media post. The senator's letter cites a recent Reuters story that said Tan "has invested in hundreds of Chinese tech firms, including at least eight with links to the People's Liberation Army, according to a Reuters review of Chinese and U.S. corporate filings. In March, Yeary announced that Tan had been named Intel CEO. Tan started working at the company on March 18. Tan was previously chief executive officer of Cadence Design Systems, an American chip design company based in California, from 2009 to 2021. Intel's rivals such as Taiwan Semiconductor, Samsung, GlobalFoundries and Nvidia have all announced plans worth billions of dollars to invest in their existing U.S. chipmaking infrastructure or deepen partnerships with U.S. companies like Apple in order to dodge those long-promised tariffs. Further management turmoil for Intel likely spells more trouble and delays as it continues to try to play catch up with its competitors. Its stock was only up 1.8% so far this year, lagging broader markets, before the opening bell Thursday. Intel's last CEO was forced out at the end of 2024 after the company fell behind Nvidia, AMD and other chip firms in the A.I. race. That came as Gelsinger sought to transform the long-struggling company by attempting to build major chip factories in the U.S. But Intel's debt load and the lead time that other companies already had on Intel were too much for Gelsinger to overcome. In November, Intel received a nearly $8 billion grant under the Biden administration's "CHIPS Act" for factory build outs and to make secure chips for the Defense Department. But that grant was less than Intel was originally slated to receive. It was reduced because U.S. officials worried about Intel's ability to deliver what was promised, The New York Times reported.
[14]
Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan Caught in Bizarre Crossfire of Trump's China Standoff
The President's sudden shift caps a whirlwind week for the newly appointed Intel chief. President Donald Trump has sharply reversed course on Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan. Just days after blasting Tan as "highly conflicted" and demanding his immediate resignation over alleged national security risks, Trump is now praising his "success and rise" following a face-to-face meeting at the White House yesterday Aug. 11. Sign Up For Our Daily Newsletter Sign Up Thank you for signing up! By clicking submit, you agree to our <a href="http://observermedia.com/terms">terms of service</a> and acknowledge we may use your information to send you emails, product samples, and promotions on this website and other properties. You can opt out anytime. See all of our newsletters "The meeting was a very interesting one," said Trump in a Truth Social post. "Mr. Tan and my Cabinet members are going to spend time together, and bring suggestions to me next week." Intel's stock jumped more than 3 percent today on the news. The President's abrupt shift caps a whirlwind week for Tan. On Aug. 6, U.S. Republican Senator Tom Cotton sent Intel's board chair a letter questioning Tan's ties to China and his past leadership of Cadence Design Systems, which recently pled guilty to selling technology to a military-affiliated Chinese university. Within days, Trump publicly called for Tan's ouster. In response, Tan released a statement pushing back on what he called "misinformation" about his record. "The United States has been my home for more than 40 years. I love this country and am profoundly grateful for the opportunities it has given me." It's unclear what exactly changed the President's mind. "Mr. Tan had the honor of meeting with President Trump for a candid and constructive discussion on Intel's commitment to strengthening U.S. technology and manufacturing leadership," said Intel in a statement yesterday. "We appreciate the President's strong leadership to advance these priorities and look forward to working closely with him and his Administration as we restore this great American company." Born in Malaysia and raised in Singapore, Tan moved to the U.S. in the 1970s to pursue a master's degree in nuclear engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. While he has only led Intel since March, Tan he brings decades of semiconductor experience -- leading Cadence between 2008 and 2021, serving on Intel's board, and founding Walden Catalyst Ventures, an investment firm specializing in semiconductor ventures. The bigger picture Trump's reversal on Tan comes as his administration wavers on tariff policy toward China. On Aug. 11, the President delayed a planned hike in U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports -- postponing the jump from 30 percent to 145 percent for another 90 days. China, in turn, won't raise its own levies on U.S. goods from 10 percent to 125 percent until mid-November. The impact of Trump's global levies is slowing creeping up in consumer prices. July's inflation read came at 2.7 percent, unchanged from June. However, core CPI -- which excludes volatile food and energy costs -- climbed to 3.1 percent from June's 2.9 percent. Intel isn't the only chipmaker drawing unusual attention from Trump this month. The President yesterday announced that Nvidia and AMD must pay the U.S. government 15 percent of their revenue from chips sold to China in order to obtain export licenses , which were paused in April. Unlike Nvidia and AMD, which have thrived by centering their businesses on the GPUs needed to power A.I. systems, Intel has struggled to capture that momentum. The company's stock plunged about 60 percent last year, prompting the ouster of former CEO Pat Gelsinger at the end of 2024. Now under Tan, Intel is cutting its workforce, doubling down on its foundry business, and going all-in on engineering.
[15]
Is Intel collapsing under CEO Lip-Bu Tan? What went wrong with one of Silicon Valley's most iconic companies
Intel, once a shining tech giant of Silicon Valley, is slowly losing the AI-chip battle against Taiwanese rival TSMC and Nvidia. Now, President Donald Trump's ultimatum to Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan over China connections may perhaps deal a body blow. Global technology stocks, including Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), are cheering on Thursday but Intel share price has gone down. This comes as U.S. President Donald Trump has called for the immediate resignation of Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan, just months after he took the top job at the chipmaker, following concerns over his ties to Chinese firms through several investments. Tan has made hundreds of investments in Chinese companies over decades through Walden International, the San Francisco venture capital firm he founded in 1987, and two Hong Kong-based holding companies, Sakarya Limited and Seine Limited. What Went Wrong for Intel? Intel is one of Silicon Valley's most iconic companies, but its fortunes have been dwarfed by Asian powerhouses TSMC and Samsung, which dominate the made-to-order semiconductor business. The company was also caught by surprise with the emergence of Nvidia as the world's preeminent AI chip provider. Intel's niche has been in chips used in traditional computing processes, steadily being eclipsed by the AI revolution. Once the dominant force in chip-making, the company is in the middle of a strategy shift meant to revive its fortunes after it fell behind Taiwanese rival TSMC in manufacturing. Intel also has virtually no presence in the booming market for AI chips dominated by Nvidia. The storied chipmaker, once synonymous with America's chipmaking heft, has lagged due to years of strategic missteps. Rival Nvidia has leaped ahead in the booming artificial intelligence chip industry, while rival AMD has been gaining share in Intel's mainstay personal computer and server semiconductor markets. CEO Tan has been focusing on a next-generation chipmaking process called 14A to win big external customers, shifting away from 18A, a technology that his predecessor Pat Gelsinger had spent billions of dollars to develop. Such a move could lead to a big writedown, an expense that would surely displease investors even as Intel has signaled that the new technology will help it be more competitive against Taiwan's TSMC, the world's biggest chipmaking factory. Longer-term commentary on the company's plans for the 14A technology "will hold more weight this earnings call than anything else", Stifel analysts wrote. Setback for Intel Back in July, Intel posted quarterly revenue that topped market expectations, saying it has cut about 15 percent of its workforce to be "more agile." Intel reported $12.9 billion in sales in the recently ended quarter, topping forecasts, but logged a $2.9 billion loss that included $1.9 billion in restructuring charges. "Intel has completed the majority of the planned headcount actions it announced last quarter to reduce its core workforce by approximately 15 percent," the company said in an earnings release. Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan Intel chief executive Lip-Bu Tan took the helm in March, announcing layoffs as White House tariffs and export restrictions muddied the market. Malaysia-born tech industry veteran Tan has said it "won't be easy" to overcome challenges faced by the company. Tan, who took over the CEO role in March after the ousting of his predecessor Pat Gelsinger late last year, has set a goal of slashing the chipmaker's workforce to 75,000 people by year-end, a reduction of around 22 per cent. Intel also vowed to take a more disciplined approach to manufacturing investment. The US chip maker also said it "will no longer move forward" with projects in Germany and Poland as part of a push to save billions of dollars. Q1. Who is Intel CEO? A1. Malaysia-born tech industry veteran Lip-Bu Tan is Intel CEO. Q2. Is Intel going for layoffs? A2. Lip-Bu Tan, who took over the CEO role in March after the ousting of his predecessor Pat Gelsinger late last year, has set a goal of slashing the chipmaker's workforce to 75,000 people by year-end, a reduction of around 22 per cent. Intel also vowed to take a more disciplined approach to manufacturing investment.
[16]
Intel's CEO & Board Chairman Frank Yeary Had Been in Disagreement From the Start, Reportedly Stalling a Crucial Acquisition Deal of an AI Firm That Could Have Turned Things Around
Intel's top leadership has been in disagreement even since CEO Tan took over the office, and President Trump's recent statement has worsened the situation. Internal conflicts in a company, especially at an executive level, aren't great, especially for a firm like Intel that is already struggling with its business. In a report by the Wall Street Journal, it is revealed that Team Blue's CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, has disagreed with the board directors ever since he took over the position. The disagreements initially started on how Intel's business units should operate. Still, it evolved to such an extent that Tan couldn't raise capital for an acquisition, which would've bolstered the company's efforts towards AI. When Lip-Bu Tan took over the office, it is claimed that board chairman Frank Yeary had plans to exit the foundry business entirely and spin it out to a separate one, allowing Big Tech to acquire an interest in it. Yeary was also eager to strike a deal with TSMC for the foundry division, which shows that the Intel-TSMC rumors we saw a few months ago weren't far-fetched. However, CEO Tan wasn't in favour of not having a manufacturing unit, claiming that the foundry division is a crucial commitment to the company's success and the American cause towards developing homegrown chips. More importantly, board directors have reportedly stalled an acquisition proposal for an AI business, which was said to allow Intel to compete more aggressively with AMD and NVIDIA. The delay ultimately led to another "publicly traded technology company" to buy the AI firm in discussions, which meant that Team Blue lost another opportunity. The internal conflicts have apparently compromised Intel's operations tremendously, to the point where Tan's hands are now tied. Factoring in President Trump's recent statements about Intel's CEO, Lip-Bu Tan's current position is complex. The firm needs to restructure its internal politics in order to progress with the business.
[17]
Trump changes tune on Intel CEO after demanding his resignation:...
President Trump said he met with Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan on Monday, days after seeking his resignation, praising Tan and calling the meeting "a very interesting one." Shares of the chipmaker rose 3% in extended trading. Last week, Trump had demanded the immediate resignation of Tan, calling him "highly conflicted" over his ties to Chinese firms, injecting uncertainty into the chipmaker's years-long turnaround effort. Trump said he met with Tan, along with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. His cabinet members and Tan were going to bring suggestions to him next week, Trump said in a post on Truth Social. "His success and rise is an amazing story," Trump said about Tan. Tan had invested in hundreds of Chinese firms, some of which were linked to the Chinese military, Reuters reported exclusively in April. It is not illegal for U.S. citizens to hold stakes in Chinese companies unless they have been added to the U.S. Treasury's Chinese Military-Industrial Complex Companies List, which explicitly bans such investments. Tan has been tasked to undo years of missteps that left Intel struggling to make inroads in the booming AI chip industry dominated by Nvidia, while investment-heavy contract manufacturing ambitions led to heavy losses. In the roughly six months as Intel CEO, Tan made major strategic shifts that included divesting assets, laying off employees and redirecting resources. But the demand for Tan's resignation will only distract him from that task, investors and a former senior employee have told Reuters. Tan is now making an effort to reassure Trump that he remains the right person to revive the storied American chipmaker. Tan met with Trump for a candid and constructive discussion on the company's commitment to strengthening US technology and manufacturing leadership, Intel said in a statement. The company said it would work closely with the administration to "restore this great American company." Trump's intervention marked a rare instance of a president publicly calling for a CEO's ouster and raised questions about his control over corporate affairs. This was also evident in an agreement calling for Nvidia and AMD to give the US government 15% of revenue from China sales.
[18]
Intel CEO targeted by Trump has been in power struggle with tech...
Intel's embattled new chief Lip-Bu Tan is reportedly locked in a power struggle with members of the chipmaker's board -- a clash thrust into the spotlight after President Trump called for his removal. The tensions, which have been simmering since Tan took the helm in March, center on whether Intel should remain in the costly business of manufacturing its own chips or exit the segment entirely, people familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal on Friday. Tan has pushed to keep Intel's foundry operations, arguing they are essential for American technology independence. Some board members, led by chairman Frank Yeary, have pushed to spin off or sell the unit, which has been losing money despite accounting for about a third of Intel's revenue last year, according to the Journal. Yeary held talks with companies like Nvidia and Amazon about buying pieces of the business, according to the Journal. He is also reported to have explored selling the firm to Taiwanese chip giant TSMC, though that idea went nowhere. The disagreement has stalled key initiatives, such as a planned multibillion-dollar fundraising effort to expand chip plants, which was delayed after Yeary and others urged moving at a slower pace. Talks to acquire an artificial intelligence firm -- viewed by Tan as critical to catching rivals like Nvidia and AMD -- have also dragged, with another buyer now close to sealing the deal, according to the Journal. Strategic partnerships have fallen through, and Tan has told associates he feels hamstrung in his efforts to turn Intel around, the Journal reported. Intel's difficulties come after years of sliding market value, driven in part by its failure to anticipate the rapid rise of AI. The company was awarded billions in funding last year from former President Joe Biden's CHIPS Act. Tan's appointment initially sparked optimism, with shares jumping more than 13% on his first day. He had earned a reputation for reviving Cadence Design Systems, but his honeymoon with Intel's leadership ended quickly. The boardroom friction erupted into public view on Thursday when Trump posted on Truth Social that Tan was "highly conflicted" and should resign, declaring "there is no other solution to this problem." Trump's comments appeared tied to Tan's past leadership of Cadence and his venture-capital investments in Chinese companies with ties to the military. Cadence recently agreed to plead guilty and pay more than $140 million to settle federal charges that it sold chip-design tools to a Chinese military university. The criticism followed a letter earlier this week from Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) to Yeary, questioning Tan's links to Chinese firms. Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), whose state is home to several planned Intel plants where construction has been delayed, joined in calling for Tan's ouster on Thursday. Intel defended its CEO, saying in a statement that the company, its board and Tan are "deeply committed to advancing US national and economic security interests" and making investments consistent with Trump's "America First" agenda. It added that leadership is united on strategy and engages in "thorough discussions and deliberations." The company has been tightening its belt, announcing last month a 15% workforce reduction and scrapping plans for new chip facilities in Europe. It also slowed construction on a major Ohio project. "There are no more blank checks," Tan told employees in a recent memo. "Every investment must make economic sense." Before Trump's post on Truth Social, it had appeared that Tan had been making inroads with the new administration. He met in April with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to outline his turnaround plans and spoke with him again by phone in recent weeks, sources told the Journal. Lutnick indicated the administration would back Intel if it could land major customers such as Apple, a person familiar with the talks told the Journal. Tan's political position may be further complicated by the legacy of his predecessor, Pat Gelsinger, who built a relationship with Vice President JD Vance before stepping down. Gelsinger left the company soon after Trump and Vance won the 2024 election -- three months after Tan resigned from Intel's board over disagreements with Gelsinger and other directors. One former board member believes Gelsinger's ties to Vance could have given Intel a valuable connection to the White House, the Journal reported. For now, Intel says it plans to keep working with the administration. But with political pressure mounting and internal disputes unresolved, Tan faces the challenge of convincing both Washington and his own board that he can steer the storied chipmaker back to stability. The Post has sought comment from Intel, the White House, Vance, Gelsinger and the Commerce Department.
[19]
Trump meets with Intel CEO, along with Commerce, Treasury secretaries
(Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he met with Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan, along with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Shares of Intel, considered to be at the heart of America's domestic chip manufacturing ambitions, rose 2.2% in extended trading. "The meeting was a very interesting one," Trump said on Truth Social, adding that his cabinet members and Tan are going to spend time together and bring suggestions to him during the next week. Trump last week demanded Tan's immediate resignation over ties to Chinese firms, injecting uncertainty into the chipmaker's years-long turnaround effort. The CEO had invested in hundreds of Chinese firms, some of which were linked to the Chinese military, Reuters reported exclusively in April. Tan has been tasked to undo years of missteps that left Intel struggling to make inroads in the booming AI chip industry dominated by Nvidia, while investment-heavy contract manufacturing ambitions led to heavy losses. But the demand for Tan's resignation will only distract him from that task, investors and a former senior employee have told Reuters. (Reporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; Reporting by Arsheeya Bajwa and Jaspreet Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Leslie Adler and Sriraj Kalluvila)
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President Trump's dramatic shift in stance towards Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan, initially demanding his resignation over alleged China ties, then praising him after a meeting, highlighting the complex interplay between politics and the tech industry.
In a surprising move, U.S. President Donald Trump called for the immediate resignation of Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan, citing alleged conflicts of interest related to China. Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, stating, "The CEO of INTEL is highly CONFLICTED and must resign, immediately. There is no other solution to this problem!" 1
Source: Gizmodo
This demand came on the heels of Republican Senator Tom Cotton's letter to Intel's board of directors, questioning Tan's ties to China, his investments in the country, and raising concerns about his time leading Cadence Design Systems, which reportedly had a Chinese military university as a customer 1.
Lip-Bu Tan, 65, took over as Intel's CEO in March 2025, tasked with turning around the struggling chipmaker. Born in Malaysia and educated in the United States, Tan has a long history in the semiconductor industry, including successful leadership at Cadence Design Systems and extensive investments in Asian tech companies through his venture capital firm, Walden International 5.
Intel has been facing significant challenges, including falling behind competitors like Nvidia and AMD in the AI chip race and struggling with its ambitious manufacturing expansion plans. Under Tan's leadership, the company has begun a major restructuring, including layoffs of up to 24,000 employees and the cancellation of planned projects in Germany and Poland 2.
In a dramatic turn of events, President Trump met with Tan just days after calling for his resignation. Following the meeting, which included Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Trump's tone shifted significantly. He praised Tan, calling the meeting "very interesting" and describing Tan's success and rise as "an amazing story" 3.
Source: New York Post
Trump's change in stance was reflected in a Truth Social post: "I met with Mr. Lip-Bu Tan, of Intel, along with Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, and Secretary of the Treasury, Scott Bessent. The meeting was a very interesting one. His success and rise is an amazing story." 4
This incident highlights the complex interplay between politics, national security concerns, and the tech industry. Intel, a major beneficiary of the Biden administration's CHIPS Act with promised investments of nearly $8 billion, now finds itself at the center of geopolitical tensions 1.
The controversy surrounding Tan's alleged ties to China underscores the broader challenges faced by U.S. tech companies operating in a global market, particularly given the ongoing tensions between the United States and China. It also raises questions about the extent of government intervention in corporate affairs, as evidenced by Trump's unprecedented public call for a CEO's resignation 5.
Source: Wccftech
In response to the controversy, Intel released a statement affirming the company's and Tan's commitment to advancing U.S. national and economic security interests. Tan himself addressed the situation, stating, "The United States has been my home for more than 40 years. I love this country and am profoundly grateful for the opportunities it has given me." 5
As Intel continues its efforts to regain competitiveness in the global semiconductor market, particularly in AI chips, the company faces the dual challenge of executing its technical and business strategies while navigating an increasingly complex political landscape. The outcome of this situation could have far-reaching implications for Intel's future and the broader U.S. tech industry's relationship with China.
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