In the glittering world of tech, where fortunes rise and fall faster than your latest dating app swipe, Intel’s story reads like a cautionary tale of hubris and missed opportunities.

Once the undisputed king of microprocessors, Intel has tumbled from its golden throne into a pit of corporate despair that would make even the most stoic venture capitalist weep. What happened to the company that once powered every laptop and desktop in existence?

The Rise of a Tech Titan

Back in the day, Intel wasn’t just a company – it was the company. Founders Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore weren’t just tech nerds; they were visionaries who literally wrote the rulebook for chip innovation. Their “Moore’s Law” predicted that computing power would double every year, and boy, did they deliver.

The Spectacular Stumble

Fast forward to today, and Intel looks less like a tech giant and more like a cautionary meme. They spectacularly missed the smartphone revolution, turning down Apple’s initial iPhone chip deal. Then, in a move that screams “we’re totally out of touch,” they passed on acquiring Nvidia – which is now worth a mind-blowing $4.3 trillion.

The Current Reality

Now, Intel is bleeding money, laying off thousands, and watching competitors like AMD and Nvidia sprint past them. CEO Lip-Bu Tan admitted the brutal truth: “We are not in the top 10 semiconductor companies”. Ouch. From industry leader to tech footnote – talk about a plot twist nobody saw coming.