Intel’s chief executive Lip-Bu Tan has hit out at “misinformation” over his career after Donald Trump alleged the semiconductor industry veteran was “highly conflicted” and should resign.
In a letter to Intel staff published late on Thursday, Mr Tan said that Intel was “engaging” with the Trump administration “to address the matters that have been raised and ensure they have the facts”.
“There has been a lot of misinformation circulating about my past roles . . . I want to be absolutely clear: Over 40 years in the industry, I’ve built relationships around the world and across our diverse ecosystem – and I have always operated within the highest legal and ethical standards,” Mr Tan wrote.
Mr Tan’s move to reassure staff at Intel, the only US-headquartered company capable of manufacturing advanced chips, came hours after Mr Trump had demanded his resignation in a post on Truth Social.
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Mr Trump did not detail Mr Tan’s alleged conflicts of interest but the US president’s broadside followed a letter from Tom Cotton, the Republican head of the Senate intelligence committee, to Intel’s chair expressing “concern about the security and integrity of Intel’s operations” and Mr Tan’s ties to China.
Mr Tan has been a prolific investor in Chinese tech companies through his San Francisco-based venture capital firm as well as companies based in Hong Kong. His past investments have included Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp, China’s largest chip manufacturer.
Before being appointed Intel chief earlier this year, Mr Tan ran California-based Cadence Design Systems, which last week admitted to violating US export controls by selling its chip design tools to a Chinese university with close ties to the military.
Since taking the top job, Mr Tan has launched a major cost-cutting programme and last month warned that Intel might be forced to abandon development of its next-generation manufacturing technology if it could not secure a large customer.
In the letter, Mr Tan said that Intel’s board was “fully supportive” of “the work we are doing to transform our company”.
He added that he “fully share[s] the President’s commitment to advancing US national and economic security”.
“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. I also love this company,” Mr Tan noted. – Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2025
