Pat Gelsinger: "I Wasn't Allowed to Finish What I Started" – The Ongoing Saga of Intel's CEO

Pat Gelsinger, a veteran of Intel for over three decades and its current CEO (as of his return in 2021), recently made a revealing statement about his departure from the company in 2009. In an interview with PC Watch, he openly stated, **"The decision to step down from Intel was an extremely difficult one. I wanted to finish what I started, but as you know, I was not given the opportunity."** This candid admission sheds new light on a pivotal moment in Intel's history and highlights the long-standing tensions that can exist between visionary leaders and corporate boards.

The Unfinished Business of 2009

When Gelsinger left Intel in 2009, after a distinguished career that saw him become Intel's first Chief Technology Officer, his departure was framed as a retirement. However, his recent remarks strongly imply it was an involuntary exit. Sources speculate that the "thing he started" was a significant investment into Intel Foundry, a vision for Intel to expand its semiconductor manufacturing arm to serve external customers—a strategy he would champion years later upon his return.

Typically, high-level corporate departures involve non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) that prevent executives from detailing behind-the-scenes happenings. Gelsinger's decision to speak out, especially amidst Intel's well-documented struggles in the years following his initial departure and prior to his return, paints a picture of a leader whose ambitious plans were perhaps ahead of the board's readiness or vision at the time. This internal friction, if true, suggests a fundamental disagreement over Intel's strategic direction over a decade ago.

A Decade Away: VMware and Intel's Decline

After leaving Intel, Gelsinger took the helm as CEO of VMware in 2012, transforming it into a highly successful enterprise software company. Meanwhile, Intel, under a succession of different leaders, faced significant challenges:

• Manufacturing Stumbles: Delays in process node transitions (e.g., 10nm) allowed competitors like TSMC and Samsung to gain a significant lead in semiconductor manufacturing.
• Competitive Pressure: AMD's resurgence with Ryzen and EPYC processors intensified competition in both consumer and server markets.
• Missed Opportunities: Intel largely missed out on the booming mobile and AI accelerator markets, areas where NVIDIA and ARM-based solutions excelled.
• Financial Performance: The company faced increasing financial woes, including a surprise loss and dividend suspension in 2024 (reflecting the culmination of prior years' challenges), leading to activist investor pressure.

The Prodigal Son Returns: Gelsinger's Second Act at Intel (2021-Present)

In early 2021, amidst a period of significant crisis and under pressure from activist investor Third Point, Intel's board brought Pat Gelsinger back as CEO. His return was widely hailed, seen by many as the right leader to steer the struggling chip giant back to its former glory. Gelsinger immediately laid out an ambitious turnaround strategy, dubbed "IDM 2.0," which included:

• Regaining Process Leadership: An aggressive "5 nodes in 4 years" plan to catch up and surpass rivals in manufacturing technology (e.g., Intel 7, Intel 4, Intel 3, Intel 20A, Intel 18A).
• Establishing Intel Foundry Services (IFS): Opening Intel's fabs to external customers, fulfilling the vision he apparently had over a decade earlier.
• Product Leadership: Developing competitive products across all segments, from client PCs to data centers and AI accelerators.
• Ecosystem and Talent: Reinvigorating Intel's engineering culture and strengthening its ecosystem partnerships.

Ongoing Challenges and Recent Developments:

Despite some significant progress, particularly on the manufacturing roadmap, Gelsinger's second tenure has not been without its challenges. Recent reports (from late 2024, based on the search results) indicate that the board may have again grown frustrated with the pace of progress and financial performance, leading to speculation that his recent departure was once more *not* entirely voluntary, mirroring the circumstances he described from 2009. These reports suggest a continued struggle with 18A yield rates, a slower-than-anticipated uptake of Gaudi AI accelerators, and overall financial concerns. Former Intel CEO Craig Barrett even suggested publicly that the board should be "fired" and Gelsinger rehired to finish his job.

Gelsinger himself, in recent statements, has also articulated a broader vision for the future of computing, foreseeing a "trinity" of conventional, AI, and quantum machines coexisting, and suggesting that AI inferencing might not always be best suited for GPUs.

The Enduring Quest for Intel's Future

Pat Gelsinger's recent comments about his 2009 departure, combined with the tumultuous journey of Intel and his subsequent return and challenges, paint a compelling picture of a leader deeply committed to the company's technical prowess and market leadership. The tension between long-term strategic investments and short-term financial pressures is a constant theme in corporate leadership, and Gelsinger's story at Intel is a prime example.

As Intel continues its ambitious turnaround, Gelsinger's legacy, both from his first and second tenures, will be defined by whether the company can truly regain its manufacturing dominance and competitive edge across all its businesses. The path is complex, but his unwavering belief in Intel's potential remains a central narrative in the semiconductor world.

Disclaimer: This article is based on publicly available reports, interviews, and historical information. Specific details and interpretations of past events may vary. Please refer to official sources for the most accurate and up-to-date information.