2024-10-02
6 分钟The Economist. Hi, this is Tom Lee Devlin,
co-host of Money Talks, our weekly podcast on markets, the economy and business.
Welcome to Editor's Picks.
Here's an article handpicked from the latest edition of The Economist, read aloud.
Intel has spent two decades missing the next big thing.
The chipmaker's dominant PC business blinded it to the opportunity from mobile phones in the 2000s.
More recently, the firm was slow to adopt extreme ultraviolet lithography,
an expensive chipmaking process that was originally funded by Intel itself.
Now,
Nvidia dominates the white-hot market for designing artificial intelligence or AI chips,
becoming the world's most valuable semiconductor company.
Investors in Intel have voted with their feet.
As when any corporate icon falls on hard times, deal-making rumors are swirling.
Qualcomm, an American chip designer, is reported to be interested in buying Intel.
Apollo A financial firm is also mulling an investment.
Any buyer must confront a vexing problem.
Intel's manufacturing business or foundry is viewed as strategically important by American policymakers who want more chips to be made at home.
It is also deeply unprofitable.
Enormous and relentless investment is required for it to compete with TSMC,
a Taiwanese chipmaking giant.