Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan loses $5 million on his $25 million Intel investment as stock tumbles

Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan is projected to have lost around $5.28 million in value as the company’s shares took a tumble alongside the rest of the market. When Mr. Tan took the reins of the chip giant in March 2025, he needed to purchase $25 million of Intel stock to make him eligible for the nearly $68 million in bonuses. The stock price around this time was $23.96, allowing him to buy 1,043,406 shares. However, Intel’s stock price at the time of writing is $18.90, putting the value of Mr. Tan’s investments at less than $20 million.

The board likely required Lip-Bu Tan to purchase this stock to ensure he’s invested in the company's performance, which is tied to his results as its chief executive. However, this recent drop has nothing to do with his performance, as he has only been on the job for around one month. Instead, this dip is part of the market chaos brought on by Trump’s tariffs, with Intel and many other chip companies hitting record lows.

Some analysts wonder if Tan will purchase more Intel stock at this low price or if the company will launch a stock buyback plan to help reverse this trend. After all, Broadcom just announced a $10 billion stock buyback plan, which helped its stock price go up by 3%. The fabless chip maker said it made this move because it was confident in its products and services despite the ongoing upheaval in the American economy.

It’s unlikely that cash-strapped Intel will copy this strategy, though. The company’s finances have reached the point that its former CEO was frustrated with the delays in releasing its CHIPS Act funding. Aside from that, it would be better for the company to focus on its 18A process node, which has already entered risk production, instead of playing with its stock price.

The $5 million reduction in value might seem like a significant sum, but CCN estimates that the Intel CEO is worth at least $593.2 million, which is just a drop in the bucket for him. Furthermore, anyone invested in the market, in general, will likely see a similar drop in the percentage. We’ll have to wait and see how the tariffs will play out before we can truly determine if Mr. Tan lost a lot of money today, but hopefully, Intel and the rest of the industry will be able to bounce back from this chaos.