I do not at all think it will happen, nor does it make any sense at all but the rumours of Apple seemingly being interested in buying out Intel dont seem to be going away.

I can see them wanting certain parts of the business (GPU mainly) but on a whole it doesn't make a lot of sense.

I don't see Intel as a single entity being valuable to any US business really. You're essentially buying last years fall line, theres very little use for Intel's fabs without a huge amount being spent on them to get them up to modern standards.

It'll all come down to IP and people that'll be the true value.

Apple is interesting. They certainly have the money and I think the idea of fabricating their own chips appeals to Apple, but at then end of the day I don't really think it makes sense. Apple won't want to fab for others or design chips for others.

The only way it happens is if it is kept separate kind of like the Beats acquisition. Apple lends some chip designs to Intel and Apple starts fabricating their chips on Intel fabs, but otherwise the companies operate independently.

Micron Technology is the only one that comes to mind, but they are more on the memory side of things - the last time they were on level with Intel was in the 90s when they both made DRAM but intel pivoted to processors and networking

Apple is the obvious one. Essentially the only place with both the capital to do it and the extreme vertical integration enthusiasm. AMD hopefully still remembers running a fab.

The only thing that Apple might find even remotely useful are Intel's fabs. The rest of the business would have to be sold ton someone else or closed down (which would never be approved by the government).

Even then there is zero indication that Apple would ever want to do their own manufacturing.

The government desperately wants US fabs because the military requires tech and it's increasingly dangerous to rely on globalization when the globe is going nuts -- the rest of it doesn't really matter.

We're talking about Apple, though?

There are also options like Texas Instruments or Microchip. Of course far more unlikely than either nvidia or amd, but definitely options.

Ford, GM... The big automakers got burned with the chip shortage after COVID (this is their fault, but still they got burned)