Trump calls for Intel CEO's immediate resignation over alleged connections to China

US President Donald Trump on Thursday called for the immediate resignation of Lip-Bu Tan as CEO of Intel, citing the executive as a potential conflict of interest. "The CEO of Intel is in a very CONFLICT situation and must resign immediately. There is no other solution," the US president stated via TruthSocial, without offering further details. Intel shares are expected to fall nearly 3% in pre-market trading.

Lip-Bu Tan assumed the role of CEO of Intel Corporation last March, also rejoining the board of directors of the American microprocessor manufacturer, from which he resigned in August 2024.

Tan thus replaced David Zinsner and Michelle Johnston Holthaus, who took over as interim directors of Intel following Pat Gelsinger's departure in December 2024.

This week, Republican Senator Tom Cotton asked Intel's chairman for information about the company's CEO's ties to China , including pre-appointment investments in Chinese semiconductor companies and others with connections to the Chinese military.

"@intel's new CEO reportedly has deep ties to Chinese communists," Cotton wrote in an X post accompanying the letter. "American companies that receive government subsidies should be responsible stewards of taxpayer money and adhere to strict security regulations. @Intel's board owes Congress an explanation."

Tan, 65, served as CEO of Cadence Design Systems from 2009 to 2021 and on the company's board of directors for 19 years. He is also a founding managing partner of Walden Catalyst Ventures and president of Walden International.

The executive holds a Bachelor of Science in Physics from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, a Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and an MBA from the University of San Francisco. In 2022, he received the Robert N. Noyce Award, the Semiconductor Industry Association's highest honor.

This week, Republican Senator Tom Cotton asked Intel's chairman to answer questions about CEO Lip-Bu Tan's ties to China, including investments in the country's semiconductor companies and others with connections to the country's military.

According to Bloomberg , in a letter to Frank Yeary, who oversees Intel's board of directors, Cotton questioned Tan's ties to Cadence Design Systems, a technology company he led for more than a decade that sold products to a Chinese military university. The company pleaded guilty in July to violating U.S. export controls by selling hardware and software to China's National University of Defense Technology.