President Donald Trump said he should have negotiated a larger government stake in Intel during last year’s landmark rescue deal with the struggling U.S. chipmaker.
In an interview with Fortune, Trump recalled asking Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan for 10% ownership in the company “for free” in exchange for government support. Trump said Tan immediately agreed, prompting the president to joke that he “should have asked for more.”
Trump says he should've asked for 'more' of Intel when negotiating stake with CEO https://t.co/ViDEvydKGl
— CNBC (@CNBC) May 18, 2026
The report said the U.S. government eventually secured a 9.9% stake in Intel after converting billions of dollars in CHIPS Act grants and other awards into equity. Since then, Intel’s stock has surged more than 300%.
Trump also argued Intel could have dominated the semiconductor industry if earlier administrations had imposed tougher tariffs on Chinese imports. He claimed the U.S. is currently ahead of China in artificial intelligence development.
Intel’s recent rebound has been fueled by renewed demand for AI-related processors and major partnerships involving Apple and Tesla, according to the report.
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