According to foreign media reports, Japanese conglomerate SoftBank has agreed to invest $2 billion in Intel, described as a commitment to advanced technology and the semiconductor industry in the United States. The agreement for SoftBank to purchase Intel common stock was announced after the US stock market closed on Monday at a price of $23 per share. Intel’s stock price rose over 5% in after hours trading, closing at $23.66 on the same day.

Masayoshi Son, Chairman and CEO of SoftBank Group, stated in a statement, “This strategic investment reflects our belief that as Intel plays a critical role, advanced semiconductor manufacturing and supply chains in the United States will further expand.” This investment provides strong endorsement for Intel, which has been suppressed by competitors such as Nvidia in recent years, and also reflects SoftBank’s renewed interest in the US market, especially in the AI chip field. Recently, SoftBank acquired Foxconn’s factory in Loztown, Ohio as part of its plan to build an AI data center.

Under the leadership of newly appointed CEO Lip Bu Tan, Intel is currently undergoing a business restructuring phase aimed at streamlining its semiconductor business and focusing on its core customer and data center product portfolio. At the beginning of this summer, Intel closed its automotive architecture business and laid off most of its employees, while announcing plans to reduce the workload of its wafer foundry department by 15% to 20%.

Chen Liwu has recently had to deal with political landmines – former President Donald Trump demanded his resignation without evidence, citing conflicts of interest. According to reports, the Trump administration has discussed investing in Intel. The deal between SoftBank and Intel came just days after the Trump administration threatened to impose new tariffs on imported semiconductor chips as part of its strategy to boost domestic production.