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Honestly, as for why Lip-Bu Tan would join Intel even if he knew 18A has problems....
Helps to understand that Lip-Bu was in semi retirement mode. But some people don't actually like being in retirement and want a continued challenge. This job offers Lip-Bu a challenge and probably a 9 figure compensation package over the course of a few years. And he probably carved out a deal so that he could continue to invest in companies privately, so being the CEO of Intel probably gives him indirect access to a lot of deals where he could invest in his personal capacity. There is no downside for Lip-Bu here whether Intel succeeds of fails.
I'm sure he wants to try to make Intel successful, but if it fails it's no skin off his back. He will probably start his own VC fun after.
Well he is 2 months in the Job he should know the secret regarding 18A I guess you should ask TSMC on Why Morris chang and a bunch of ex TSMC Executive keeps asking Intel to give up on foundry.
The key word here is EX TSMC executives and that was based on Pat Gelsingers behavior which was passive aggressive anti TSMC. I can assure you current TSMC executives want Intel Foundry to be successful with Lip-Bu at the lead. Lip-Bu worked with TSMC for 12 years as CEO of Cadence so he is trusted.
Some of these recent statements do indeed raise some interesting questions about who knew exactly what and when within Intel and whether the relevant information was released to the market at the correct time.
For example, when Zinsner now says "Pat was misled by his managers lying to him" [I paraphrase], this might seem to imply that Zinsner realised this at the time. Either that or Zinsner was equally misled at the time, but has somehow got smarter since then. Or Zinsner was completely out of the loop at the time. The last possibility might indeed be correct and acquit him, but then there would be somone else on the Intel BOD who'd also seen the bogus information and either didn't recognise it for the BS it was or decided to turn a blind eye. There's just no way I can slice this where there's a single point of failure (Pat) and the other execs and BOD members weren't at fault. And a definite possibility that some critical information never got disclosed to the market when it should have been.
Some of these recent statements do indeed raise some interesting questions about who knew exactly what and when within Intel and whether the relevant information was released to the market at the correct time.
For example, when Zinsner now says "Pat was misled by his managers lying to him" [I paraphrase], this might seem to imply that Zinsner realised this at the time. Either that or Zinsner was equally misled at the time, but has somehow got smarter since then. Or Zinsner was completely out of the loop at the time. The last possibility might indeed be correct and acquit him, but then there would be somone else on the Intel BOD who'd also seen the bogus information and either didn't recognise it for the BS it was or decided to turn a blind eye. There's just no way I can slice this where there's a single point of failure (Pat) and the other execs and BOD members weren't at fault. And a definite possibility that some critical information never got disclosed to the market when it should have been.
It may be that Lip-Bu asked different questions and listened to customers. Big semiconductor companies have foundry teams, the same teams Lip-Bu worked with at Cadence, and foundry teams ask even tougher questions and don’t care for double~speak and visionary nonsense. The PDK talks and they listen.
It may be that Lip-Bu asked different questions and listened to customers. Big semiconductor companies have foundry teams, the same teams Lip-Bu worked with at Cadence, and foundry teams ask even tougher questions and don’t care for double~speak and visionary nonsense. The PDK talks and they listen.
Per Computex articles, it looks like Panther Lake has been delayed to 2026 (in addition to the server product that was previously delayed):
Intel demoed working Panther Lake Core Ultra 300 silicon for laptops, its first chips based on its crucial 18A process node, here at Computex 2025 in Taipei, Taiwan. Unlike the first public demoes at CES 2025 that merely showed the chips powered on, Intel put Panther Lake its paces in real-time rendering and AI applications, showing that the silicon is healthy and on-track for retail availability in early 2026.
Per Computex articles, it looks like Panther Lake has been delayed to 2026 (in addition to the server product that was previously delayed):
Intel demoed working Panther Lake Core Ultra 300 silicon for laptops, its first chips based on its crucial 18A process node, here at Computex 2025 in Taipei, Taiwan. Unlike the first public demoes at CES 2025 that merely showed the chips powered on, Intel put Panther Lake its paces in real-time rendering and AI applications, showing that the silicon is healthy and on-track for retail availability in early 2026.
Honestly, as for why Lip-Bu Tan would join Intel even if he knew 18A has problems....
Helps to understand that Lip-Bu was in semi retirement mode. But some people don't actually like being in retirement and want a continued challenge. This job offers Lip-Bu a challenge and probably a 9 figure compensation package over the course of a few years. And he probably carved out a deal so that he could continue to invest in companies privately, so being the CEO of Intel probably gives him indirect access to a lot of deals where he could invest in his personal capacity. There is no downside for Lip-Bu here whether Intel succeeds of fails.
I'm sure he wants to try to make Intel successful, but if it fails it's no skin off his back. He will probably start his own VC fun after.
$25 million for a billionaire is not a lot of money. And I'm not trying to say he does not want Intel to be successful or does not believe in the company. What I'm saying is there is no downside for him taking the Intel CEO job regardless of what happens, only upside. So there is no reason for him not to take the job even if he knew 18A wouldn't work out.
$25 million for a billionaire is not a lot of money. And I'm not trying to say he does not want Intel to be successful or does not believe in the company. What I'm saying is there is no downside for him taking the Intel CEO job regardless of what happens, only upside. So there is no reason for him not to take the job even if he knew 18A wouldn't work out.
I have to disagree on the no downside comment. He has a long standing reputation of success and the last thing he wants to do is go out on a failing note.
I've seen a couple of public presentations where he says that he hates losing. I have to believe that failing to bring about his publicly stated goal of Intel succeeding at both design and foundry would feel like a loss to him. Based on that, I don't think he would have taken on the role if he didn't honestly believe that he could lead both foundry and products to success. Failing to do so would tarnish his legacy.
$25 million for a billionaire is not a lot of money. And I'm not trying to say he does not want Intel to be successful or does not believe in the company. What I'm saying is there is no downside for him taking the Intel CEO job regardless of what happens, only upside. So there is no reason for him not to take the job even if he knew 18A wouldn't work out.
I disagree - first of all, what makes you say that Lip-Bu is a billionaire? I'm guessing
he's worth maybe $600 million?
Regardless, if $25 million isn't a lot of money for anyone, their feet aren't firmly on the
ground. And Lip-Bu's feet are firmly on the ground.
Secondly, Lip-Bu's reputation is on the line - and that means a heck of a lot for someone in his shoes -
someone who could just retire with a great reputation and a lot of money right now.
This is the latest estimate I've read, though all of the estimates of anyone's net worth are probably inaccurate, and the probability and range of inaccuracy almost certainly increase with the wealth of the person in question.
