One senior Intel engineer warned that handing over control to the Taiwanese chip giant would be a "horrible, demoralising mistake."
Industry insiders were stunned by a now-deleted LinkedIn post from Joseph Bonetti, a Principal Engineering Programme Manager at Chipzilla, who launched a passionate plea against the potential deal, calling on Intel leadership, the company’s board, and even the US government to intervene.
"Intel Leaders, Intel Board, Trump Administration, please do not sell out and/or give control of Intel Foundry to TSMC, just as Intel is taking a technical lead and getting out of first gear. This would be a horrible, demoralising mistake," Bonetti wrote.
It appears there are growing tensions within Chipzilla, as the company battles to reassert itself as a leader in semiconductor technology.
Despite reports suggesting Intel lags behind its competitors, Bonetti insists the firm is making significant strides. He said Intel 3, the latest fabrication process, is already powering Xeon 6 data centre processors, while the next-generation Intel 18A is expected to debut in Panther Lake processors later this year. This will put it ahead of TSMC’s comparable N2 technology, which won’t enter mass production until late 2025.
He claimed Intel is also leading the race in High-NA EUV technology, having secured two ASML Twinscan EXE machines—something no other chipmaker can claim.
While Intel Foundry faces financial hurdles and struggles to land major external clients, Bonetti suggests early deals with tech giants like Microsoft and Amazon indicate strong prospects.
However, whispers of a potential partnership with TSMC have sparked concerns that Intel could surrender its independence at a critical moment.
Bonetti slammed reports that TSMC engineers are needed to fix Intel’s latest processes, insisting that Intel 3 has already been in mass production for months and Panther Lake is sampling with laptop makers.
He said that Intel’s 18A boasts a game-changing advantage over TSMC’s N2—backside power delivery, a breakthrough set to improve efficiency and performance, potentially giving Intel the upper hand.
Bonetti warns that Intel Foundry is currently unprofitable due to its massive investments. Still, if allowed to stand alone, it could challenge TSMC and boost US dominance in the semiconductor industry.
"Ceding control to TSMC would neutralise Intel as a competitor," he warned, adding that such a move could damage America’s global tech leadership.
Bonetti’s angry post has since been wiped from LinkedIn.
