Hi Pat and Incapable Board Members,
I'm pulling up an email from 2021, which, unfortunately, remains just as relevant today. I wasn’t “phony” enough to secure a CEO position or a board seat at Intel. Instead, I was a direct, hardworking individual who spoke the truth. A month after sending this, I left and joined NVIDIA (March 2021) —a decision I couldn’t be happier about. The difference is night and day: less politics, a CEO with vision, a board selected on merit, and a company where employees are genuinely valued.
I have two critical points to highlight:
Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast: Pat was never the right leader to fix Intel’s problems. While technically skilled, he spent his first year chasing publicity, interviews, and external appearances, forgetting that his primary job was to fix the company. Instead, he cultivated a culture where Grade 12+ employees work for themselves, not for Intel. Pat should take a lesson from NVIDIA on how to work for a mission rather than personal glorification. His failures are no surprise. Maybe his next book should be titled, "How to Destroy a Company in 3 Years by Making Myself Bigger Than the Mission."
Automotive Group Mismanagement: Intel’s decision to include the Automotive Group in IDM 2.0 under JW was a disaster waiting to happen. Competing against Qualcomm and NVIDIA, especially with China transitioning to RISC-V, is a lost cause. JW’s move to China and his efforts to grab transportation revenue only bleed Intel dry. It’s baffling that leadership hasn’t recognized this and shut it down. Being swayed by smooth marketing pitches is no excuse for poor decision-making. Cut the dead weight before it sinks the ship.
It's time to learn basic business principles—or step aside. Taking a paycheck without delivering results is nothing short of disgraceful.