Assertion certainty 4/5 debate potential 4/5

Chang: Tim Cook told me in 2011 that Intel cannot run a foundry

Morris Chang · TSMC founder Morris Chang · Acquired · Jan 27, 2025 · at 1:43:50

TSMC founder Morris Chang recounts meeting Apple CEO Tim Cook in Cupertino after Intel CEO Paul Otellini pitched manufacturing iPhone chips.

0:00 / 0:11exact quote · 11.0s
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“And anyway, he told me there's nothing to worry about because Intel just does not know how to be a Foundry.”

quote is from the automated transcript, cleaned for reading: filler sounds and stutters are removed, nothing is rephrased. names can be misheard (the analysis reads context, assessments check outside sources). how →

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