Sources told The Wall Street Journal that the discussion will be wide-ranging, with Tan expected to share details of his personal and professional history, as well as outline proposals for closer cooperation between Intel and the U.S. government. 

The visit comes at a time when tensions between the White House and the semiconductor giant have escalated.

Trump’s intervention last week was unusual, even by Washington standards. On 7 August, he declared Tan “highly conflicted” because of his ties to Chinese firms, adding there was “no other solution to this problem” but his resignation. 

The statement triggered issues among investors and industry analysts, given Intel’s central role in America’s semiconductor and defence supply chains.

Part of the controversy comes from earlier revelations. In April, Reuters reported that Tan had invested at least $200 million in hundreds of Chinese advanced manufacturing and chip companies, some allegedly linked to the Chinese military. 

The disclosure fuelled security concerns, especially as Intel receives billions of dollars in federal subsidies under the CHIPS Act.

Tan’s career history has also attracted some questions. From 2008 to December 2021, he served as CEO of Cadence Design Systems, a chip design software firm. During that time, Cadence sold products to a Chinese military university reportedly involved in nuclear simulation research. Last month, Cadence agreed to plead guilty and pay over $140 million to settle U.S. charges related to those sales.

Since taking over Intel in March 2025, Tan has faced enormous challenges. The company reported an $18.8 billion net loss in 2024 and a $2.9 billion loss in the second quarter of 2025. 

His response has been drastic, announcing 25,000 job cuts, cancelling multiple factory projects, and acknowledging that Intel was “too late” to compete in AI training chips. Tan has adopted what he calls a policy of “brutal honesty” and declared “no more blank checks” for speculative ventures.

In a statement following Trump’s remarks, Tan said he shared the president’s commitment to advancing U.S. national and economic security. Monday’s meeting will test whether that commitment is enough to secure his position, and determine if Intel can maintain its strategic standing in the U.S. chip sector at a time of growing geopolitical rivalry.

This restructuring, the first major act by Intel’s newly appointed CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, aims to dismantle bloated bureaucracy, cut operating costs, and pivot sharply toward engineering efficiency. 

The company’s problems didn’t start yesterday. Intel has been losing ground, value, and relevance for years. In five years, its stock has plunged by 67%. 

Competitors like Nvidia have surged ahead. Intel, once a leader, is now trying to catch up in key sectors like artificial intelligence chips and high-performance computing. 

The decline hasn’t just been in market numbers, but internal too. Management became top-heavy, decision-making slow, and innovation sluggish.

Tan took over in late 2024 after Intel axed around 15,000 roles as part of a $10 billion cost-cutting plan. That wasn’t enough. Now, he’s going further. Just weeks into his tenure, he’s reportedly flattening the corporate hierarchy. Key chip divisions now report directly to him. At a recent staff town hall, he said: “We will have to make tough decisions.”

And this is one of them.

Intel had around 108,900 employees at the end of 2024. This new wave of cuts will remove about 21,000 of them. 

Across the tech sector, layoffs are increasing. Over 23,500 workers have already been dismissed across 93 companies this year alone.

We’re also seeing Intel retreat from parts of its business. Earlier this month, it sold 51% of its Altera semiconductor arm to private equity firm Silver Lake. Altera was once key to Intel’s broader chip ambitions. 

That sale goes beyond a shift in assets—it shows a recalibration of priorities. Non-core units are being spun off or shut down, and every dollar is being redirected toward tech areas where Intel can still compete.

For now, the company hasn’t commented. No official statements have been released.

But the timing of the news is no coincidence. Intel is due to release its Q1 earnings this week. The layoffs are likely to top the conversation during Tan’s first earnings call as CEO. 

Gelsinger, who also stepped down from the company’s board of directors, helped build Intel’s technology over the years. 

In his absence, Intel has appointed David Zinsner, the company’s chief financial officer, and Michelle Johnston Holthaus, formerly the executive vice president and general manager of Intel’s Client Computing Group, as interim co-CEOs.

Intel appointed Zinsner and Holthaus to maintain stability and drive the company’s product and manufacturing goals even as the transition takes place. 

Zinsner, with over 25 years of experience in finance and operations in the technology sector, has broad knowledge of semiconductor manufacturing, having previously held leadership positions at Micron Technology. 

Holthaus, who has been with Intel for nearly three decades, now holds the newly created position of CEO of Intel Products, overseeing the company’s various key divisions, including the Client Computing Group and Data Centre and AI Group.

Frank Yeary, Intel’s independent board chair, will take on the role of interim executive chair as the board searches for a permanent CEO. The company has formed a search committee, and Yeary has stated that the priority is to find a successor who can continue Intel’s journey of innovation while restoring investor confidence and improving profitability.

Gelsinger’s tenure at Intel, particularly after his return in 2021, included the revitalisation of the company’s manufacturing processes and helped Intel to compete more effectively with rivals like TSMC and Samsung. 

However, there were delays in major projects and struggles to meet expectations surrounding AI and chip manufacturing. 

Nonetheless, Gelsinger’s contributions to Intel’s growth, including his early work on processors like the 80486 and his leadership in the development of technologies such as Wi-Fi and USB, are widely recognised.

Speaking of his time at Intel, Pat Gelsinger said he was happy with the company’s accomplishments and grateful for the opportunity to lead a team of talented individuals. 

Even as he leaves the company, Zinsner and Holthaus will continue to focus on simplifying Intel’s product portfolio and advancing its manufacturing processes, ensuring that the company remains competitive in the global semiconductor industry.