Intel's Former CEO Opposed Company Split, Favored IDM 2.0

Pat Gelsinger, Intel's recently departed CEO, was against splitting the company, as revealed in a 2022 interview. His stance sheds light on the potential reasons behind his departure. Gelsinger's sudden retirement, given his previously optimistic outlook, raised questions. A 2022 interview with Stratechery offers a possible explanation. When discussing his business strategy, Gelsinger stated: "...I wrote a strategy document for the board of directors and I said if you want to split the company in two, then you should hire a PE kind of guy to go do that, not me. My strategy is what’s become IDM 2.0 and I described it." Intel's financial struggles have led to considerations of a business separation, splitting its manufacturing and chip design operations. This directly contradicts Gelsinger's IDM 2.0 strategy, which focused on in-house production. Despite his strong advocacy for Intel Foundry Services (IFS), the division's performance hasn't met expectation…