Intel could have acquired NVIDIA in 2005, but the deal was considered risky

Journalists have found out that in the past, Intel's CEO was going to acquire NVIDIA for a whopping $20 billion. The deal, which could have saved the company from its current collapse, was not approved by the board of directors.

As The New York Times writes, back in 2005, Intel CEO Paul Otellini was looking at buying NVIDIA. According to him and some other executives, developments in the field of data processing could be a valuable acquisition. He made this proposal to the company's board of directors, stating the need for a deal worth $20 billion.

The board refused, citing risks. Instead, Intel focused on a project to create an advanced hybrid processor. However, the attempts were unsuccessful, and it was later closed.

As Tom's Hardware notes, the idea of ​​buying NVIDIA could have been an excellent long-term investment against the backdrop of the modern AI boom. Later, Intel did get involved in the AI ​​race, but the scale with NVIDIA was incomparable. The latter is now a much larger company with a capitalization of three billion dollars.

Incidentally, in the past, Intel missed another profitable deal by refusing to invest in OpenAI. The company also failed to become a supplier of chips for PlayStation 6.