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Tesla just handed Intel a shiny new storyline
Intel’s CEO Lip-Bu Tan basically sent a love letter to Elon Musk on the earnings call, saying he could think of “no better partner” than Tesla. That’s corporate speak for: please, please let this foundry thing work.
Why this matters
The buzz is around Intel’s next-gen 14A process, which Tesla may use for its TeraFab AI project in Austin. If that sticks, Intel gets something it badly needs: a marquee external customer for its advanced manufacturing push.
The bigger chess match
This isn’t just about one deal. Intel has been trying to prove it can compete with TSM in the foundry game, and a Tesla win would be a very loud signal to the market. Tan also said Intel is talking to multiple customers, which is Wall Street code for “we’re not ready to crown a winner yet, but the door is open.”
The stock-market part of the story
Intel also beat Q1 expectations and raised its outlook, so the Tesla headline landed on top of already-hot earnings. That combo helped the stock rip higher after hours — because nothing says “turnaround season” like better numbers plus an Elon-shaped megaphone.
Big picture: Intel doesn’t just need good quarters. It needs believers. And Tesla is the kind of believer that can move a whole narrative.