Morris Chang, the Taiwanese-American businessman, electrical engineer, and billionaire who is best known by many for having founded Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) over 30 years ago, has spoken about Pat Gelsinger’s departure from Intel, telling people during a promotional event for his new autobiography that the former CEO should have focused on AI rather than trying to become a contract chipmaker. The statements from Chang came around a week after Intel announced that Gelsinger had “retired from the company,” although some publications, including Reuters, say that he was “forced out” due to his inability to turn the company around. Chang, 93, also mentioned that Intel currently lacks a “new strategy.”
“I don’t know why Pat resigned. I don’t know if his strategy was bad or if he didn’t execute it well…Compared with AI, he seemed to focus more on becoming a foundry. Of course now it seems that (Gelsinger) should have focused on AI,” Chang said. “They currently have neither a new strategy nor a new CEO. Finding both is very difficult,” he added.