Lutnick just laughed it off, indignantly pointing out that “we were just giving away the money” under the previous terms of the CHIPS Act. But the legality of any equity stake would likely be challenged by both Intel shareholders and competitors in the industry, according to the Times.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday said any U.S. investment in Intel would be aimed at helping the troubled chipmaker stabilize, as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the government wanted equity stakes in exchange for its support of semiconductor manufacturers.