U.S. Govt Acquires 10% Stake in Intel for $8.9 Bn

President Donald Trump has confirmed that the United States government now owns 10% of Intel Corp, a move he called “a great deal for America and for Intel”.

Intel, the only American company capable of making advanced chips on U.S. soil, also said in a press release that the government made an $8.9 billion investment in Intel common stock, purchasing 433.3 million shares at a price of $20.47 per share, giving it a 10% stake in the company.

The US government acquired a 10% stake in Intel Corp through a combination of CHIPS Act funding and Pentagon-backed initiatives. This $8.9 billion infusion is aimed at fortifying domestic semiconductor production and reducing reliance on foreign supply chains. 

Deal Details

• Investment Value: $8.9 billion
• Share Price: $20.47 per share
• Shares Acquired: ~433.3 million

Funding Sources:

• $5.7B from CHIPS and Science Act grants
• $3.2B from Pentagon’s Secure Enclave program

Strategic Implications

• No Board Seat or Governance Rights: The government will not influence Intel’s internal decisions
• Warrant Clause: U.S. may acquire an additional 5% if Intel loses majority control of its foundry business
• National Security Focus: Trump emphasized the need to secure U.S. dominance in semiconductor manufacturing

Market Reaction

Intel shares surged 6–7% following the announcement, signaling investor optimism about the deal’s stabilizing effects.

Policy Shift

This move breaks with decades of hands-off government policy toward private corporations. Trump’s administration is now tying federal support to direct equity stakes, signaling a new era of economic statecraft.

Other Similar Tech Deals Globally

Several recent government-backed tech deals across the globe reflect a growing trend of governments stepping in to secure strategic digital infrastructure, bolster national security, and assert technological sovereignty. France has deepened its commitment to cloud sovereignty by investing in Bleu—a secure cloud venture spun off from Atos and co-owned with Orange. The French government’s support includes equity participation and long-term public sector contracts to ensure data localization and defense-grade infrastructure.

India has also made a notable move by channeling ₹3,000 crore into Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) via its defense modernization fund. This capital is earmarked for the development of AI-enabled battlefield systems and secure communication technologies, with the government maintaining oversight through board representation.

Germany, in a more enterprise-focused strategy, has backed the SAP specialist Cpro through a co-financing arrangement with private equity firm Egeria. The goal is to strengthen digital capabilities among small and medium-sized enterprises, aligning with Germany’s broader push for digital sovereignty in enterprise software.

China continues to lead in scale, expanding its state holdings in semiconductor giants like SMIC, Hua Hong, and Yangtze Memory. Through the National IC Fund Phase III, over $30 billion has been allocated to accelerate domestic chip manufacturing and reduce dependence on Western technologies. These deals collectively underscore a shift toward AI-first mergers, cloud infrastructure localization, and defense-tech fusion, with governments increasingly acting as strategic investors rather than passive regulators.

All About Trump's New US 'Bitcoin Reserve' To Strengthen Digital Asset Holdings

The Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and United States Digital Asset Stockpile was established through Executive Order 14233 signed by President Donald J. Trump on March 6, 2025. This initiative aims to position the United States as a leader in government digital asset strategy, ensuring Bitcoin and other digital assets are managed strategically. 

The simplified explanation of the new "Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile" is — the U.S. government has decided to keep Bitcoin (BTC) in a special reserve, instead of selling it whenever it gets Bitcoin through legal processes (like when criminals' Bitcoin is seized). This is because Bitcoin is valuable, like gold, and the government wants to hold onto it for the future.

At the same time, the U.S. is also managing a Digital Asset Stockpile-which means the government is collecting other digital currencies that are taken from illegal activities. But these non-Bitcoin assets might be sold or used differently, depending on the government's plans.

The goal of these reserves is to make sure the U.S. strategically manages digital assets, instead of just selling them quickly. It helps the government stay prepared financially as digital currencies become more important.
This initiative centralizes the US government’s digital asset holdings, ensuring strategic management and long-term value preservation.

Here’s a deeper look into the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and United States Digital Asset Stockpile, based on official sources:

Strategic Bitcoin Reserve

The U.S. Treasury will maintain Bitcoin (BTC) holdings as reserve assets, ensuring they are not sold but instead used to meet governmental objectives.

• Agencies holding forfeited Bitcoin must transfer them to the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, consolidating BTC holdings under a single custodial framework.
• The Secretary of the Treasury and Secretary of Commerce are authorized to develop budget-neutral strategies for acquiring additional BTC, ensuring no incremental costs for taxpayers.

United States Digital Asset Stockpile

This stockpile includes non-BTC digital assets forfeited through criminal or civil asset forfeiture proceedings.

Unlike the Bitcoin Reserve, the Treasury retains discretion over how these assets are managed, allowing for strategic liquidation or retention.

The Stockpile does not acquire new assets beyond those obtained through forfeiture, ensuring a controlled approach to digital asset management.

Policy and Implementation

The Executive Order 14233 establishes these reserves to strategically manage federally owned digital assets.

The initiative aligns with the January 23 Executive Order, which directed the President’s Working Group on Digital Asset Markets to evaluate the feasibility of a national digital asset stockpile.

The Treasury Department will oversee custodial accounts, ensuring proper tracking and utilization of digital assets.

Secretary of the Treasury will oversees the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile, ensuring proper custodial management. Secretary of Commerce will work alongside the Treasury to develop budget-neutral strategies for acquiring additional Bitcoin.

Key Synopsis:

• Strategic Bitcoin Reserve: The U.S. government will maintain Bitcoin (BTC) holdings as reserve assets rather than selling them, recognizing Bitcoin’s scarcity and security as a unique store of value.
• United States Digital Asset Stockpile: This stockpile will include other digital assets forfeited through criminal or civil asset forfeiture proceedings, ensuring orderly and strategic management.
• Treasury Oversight: The Secretary of the Treasury will oversee custodial accounts for both reserves, ensuring proper tracking and utilization.
• Government BTC Policy: Agencies holding forfeited Bitcoin will transfer them to the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, preventing premature sales that could negatively impact taxpayers.

This move reflects a shift in U.S. policy toward digital assets, recognizing their role in global financial stability.

Trump Says Its Unfair to US If Musk Builds Tesla Factory in India

US President Donald Trump recently expressed his concerns about Elon Musk's plans to build a Tesla factory in India. Trump argued that it would be "unfair" to the US due to the high tariffs India imposes on American-made vehicles.

The US President mentioned that these tariffs create significant trade barriers, making it difficult for Tesla to sell cars in India. Trump emphasized that while building a factory in India might be beneficial for Tesla, it would be detrimental to the US economy.

This statement came during an interview with Fox News, where Trump and Musk discussed the challenges and opportunities of expanding Tesla's presence in India. Musk agreed with Trump's concerns, highlighting the need for a level playing field in international trade.

During the interview with Fox News, Trump expressed concerns about the high import duties India imposes on American-made vehicles, which he believes create significant trade barriers. He emphasized that while building a factory in India might benefit Tesla, it would be detrimental to the US economy.

Elon Musk, Tesla's CEO, who recently met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington, DC., agreed with Trump's concerns, highlighting the need for a level playing field in international trade.

Despite the Indian government's recent efforts to reduce import taxes for carmakers willing to invest in local production facilities, Trump remains critical of American companies building factories abroad.

During his meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Elon Musk discussed several key topics, including space exploration, mobility, technology, and innovation. Musk expressed his interest in launching Starlink in India and overcoming regulatory hurdles. He also highlighted the potential entry of Tesla into the Indian market, despite the high import duties and the nascent electric vehicle sector.

Musk emphasized the importance of strengthening collaboration between Indian and US entities in innovation, space exploration, artificial intelligence, and sustainable development. He also discussed opportunities to deepen cooperation in emerging technologies, entrepreneurship, and good governance.

Trump Creates Sovereign Wealth Fund That Could Buy TikTok

President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order to create a U.S. sovereign wealth fund. This fund could potentially be used to purchase Tiktok from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. Trump mentioned that the fund might also be used for other strategic investments and government projects.

It's an interesting move, considering the U.S. typically operates with a budget deficit, unlike many countries with sovereign wealth funds that have budget surpluses.

Trump signed an executive order on February 3, 2025, to create a U.S. sovereign wealth fund. This fund aims to leverage government-owned assets for national wealth generation. Trump mentioned that the fund could be used to purchase Tiktok from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, if a suitable deal is made.

We might put [TikTok] in the sovereign wealth fund, whatever we make or we do a partnership with very wealthy people, a lot of options. But we could put that as an example in the fund — Trump said.

The fund is expected to be operational within the next year. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary-designate Howard Lutnick have been tasked with developing a detailed plan for the fund. The idea is to monetize the assets side of the U.S. balance sheet for the American people.

However, there are questions about how the fund will be financed since the U.S. typically operates with a budget deficit. Trump has suggested that it could be funded through tariffs and other measures, but specifics have not been provided.

The current situation with TikTok in the U.S. is quite dynamic. The short video app voluntarily shut down its services in the U.S. just hours before a ban was set to take effect on January 19, 2025. However, it quickly restored service after President Donald Trump signed an executive order extending the deadline and providing assurances to service providers.

Despite being accessible to users who already have the app installed, TikTok remains unavailable for download in the Apple and Google app stores in the U.S. This means new users cannot easily install the app.

Discussions are ongoing about a potential joint venture where the U.S. could gain partial ownership of TikTok. President Trump has suggested that the U.S. could take a 50% ownership stake in TikTok, but this idea is still under consideration and has not been finalized.

Earlier it was reported that China is reportedly considering selling TikTok's US operations to Elon Musk.

The situation is complicated by legal and political challenges, including concerns about national security due to TikTok's Chinese ownership. The Supreme Court upheld a law requiring ByteDance to divest its U.S. assets or face a ban, but the enforcement of this law has been delayed.

It's a fluid situation, and the future of TikTok in the U.S. remains uncertain.

Indian-Origin Entrepreneur Appointed As Trump's Senior AI Policy Advisor

Sriram Krishnan, an alumnus of Chennai's Anna University, has been appointed as the Senior Policy Advisor for Artificial Intelligence (AI) by President-elect Donald Trump.

Krishnan, an Indian-American entrepreneur and venture capitalist, will play a key role in shaping AI policies across multiple government sectors. He brings a wealth of experience from his previous roles at companies like Microsoft, Twitter, and Facebook. Krishnan expressed his honor at the appointment and his commitment to ensuring continued American leadership in AI.

Currently a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz, Krishnan previously led product and engineering efforts at Twitter, Meta and Microsoft. He will work closely with David Sacks, who has been named the White House AI and Crypto Czar.

Krishnan's background is impressive. He has held leadership roles at major tech companies like Microsoft, Twitter, and Facebook. He was a founding member of the Windows Azure team at Microsoft and has been a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz.

Krishnan and his wife, Aarthi Ramamurthy, co-host a podcast called "The Aarthi and Sriram Show," where they explore technology, entrepreneurship, and culture. His appointment has been widely applauded, with many praising his ability to blend public policy, international affairs, and technology.

Sriram Krishnan earned his Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) in Information Technology from SRM Engineering College, which is affiliated with Anna University in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

It's quite an impressive journey from SRM Engineering College to becoming a senior policy advisor on AI!

How Trump's Stricter Visa Rules is Killing 'Startup Dreams' of Indian Entrepreneurs

Before the tragedy of 'Trump' happened to the US, the Obama-led government had previously created the International Entrepreneur Rule (IER) under which foreign-born entrepreneurs are allowed to remain in the US for up to 5 years if they've created a company/startup that has the potential for rapid growth and job creation, among other requirements.

The IER program was set to take effect on 17 July 2017, but on 10 July, the Trump administration postponed it until March 14, 2018, with a possible intent of demolishing it altogether. Subsequently, in September, the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) sued the US government over its opposition to a key immigration program. NVCA, which is comprised of more than 450 member firms, is the premier trade association that represents the U.S. venture capital industry.

The NVCA, which serves as the official mouthpiece for the VC community in Washington, DC, has asked a federal court to block the DHS from delaying the IER and require the department to begin accepting applications for the program.

The others who also brought this case against Trump government in a court of law include the foreign-born founders of LotusPay, Occasion and Omni Labs. LotusPay's founders, Atma and Anand Krishna, had just finished Y Combinator's Summer 2017 session when the IER was delayed.

Omni Labs -- Vikram Tiwari & Nishant Srivastava

[caption id="attachment_124005" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Alex Modon, left, and Vikram Tiwari, co-founders of Omni Labs, Inc. | Picture Credit - Eric Kayne for Yahoo News[/caption]

Omni Labs was founded in June 2015 by Alex Modon and his Indian citizen co-founders -- Vikram Tiwari and Nishant Srivastava, who had worked in the tech industry for a number of years and were well acquainted with the challenges of "startup life" but then what happened eventually is totally unprepared for them to face -- the U.S. immigration policy under President Trump.

As Omni Labs was the collaborative brainchild of its three co-founders, only the U.S.-born Alex is now allowed to live and work in the country where the business is based. In 2017, Tiwari or Srivastava, who are Indian citizens and are residing in U.S. on work Visa were unable to obtain U.S. work visas and thus the founders came up with a solution as a last resort to open a secondary office in Vancouver, Canada but then it too created an anther problem of added cost, which is not required at all otherwise, and a variety of logistical challenges too.

Notably, Omni, which is an automated ad data analysis platform for businesses, is a rising star and according to court filings, Omni Lab’s customer base grew from 5 to 140 businesses in just eight months last year, and by September 2017, the largely self-funded startup already boasted a positive cash flow. However, all of this seems to be going in vain due to Trump's "Pseudo-nationalistic" immigration law to make America great again.

In the months since Omni Lab's lawsuit was filed last September, the company’s leadership has gradually dimnished in size from three co-founders to two, with Srivastava returning home to India and pursue a more stable job opportunity in homeland. Tiwari, meanwhile, remains based in Vancouver, Canada, which is Omni's secondary office.

BauBax -- Hiral Sanghavi

[caption id="attachment_124004" align="aligncenter" width="700"]
Hiral Sanghavi with his wife Yoganshi Shah | Picture Credit - money.cnn.com[/caption]

An another Indian-citizen founded startup BauBax, which is $20 million startup (in sales), is also one of the victim of IER killing.

BauBax had earlier raised an impressive $9.2 million on Kickstarter to fund his idea to create and sell a travel jacket with a bunch of built-in features -- a neck pillow, eye mask, gloves, even a pocket to hold a soda can.

To date, the company has sold more than 200,000 BauBax jackets worldwide. For the past six months, Sanghavi and his team have been working on the next iteration of the BauBax travel jacket. This one has 25 features in it.

However, now Sanghavi may have to wind up the business and leave the United States. About four years back, BauBax CEO & founder Hiral Sanghavi immigrated to the United States and got married to Yoganshi Shah.

In 2015, Sanghavi took a sabbatical from his MBA program at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management to launch BauxBax. That's when he got an H-4 visa, which was tied to his wife Yogina's H1-B. H-4 visas are given to spouses and dependents of H-1B workers. Unlike student visas, they allow the holder to work or to launch a business.

But Sanghavi's wife Yagansi's H1-B visa expires in August and she will need to seek a renewal soon. And, is Shah's wife loses her H-1B visa for some reason, he will also lose his visa.

"If my wife for whatever reason is unable to renew her H-1B, then we are without status. I would have within 30 days of the denial to shut down my company and leave the country", said Hiral Sanghavi to a US business daily.

BauBax, which is 100% owned by Sanghavi, employs six full-time workers at its Redmond, Washington, office and 11 contractors who work remotely.

Despite of all this stricter immigration policy, U.S. is still a preferred destination for entrepreneurs worldwide especially Indians. In a study titled America's New Immigrant Entrepreneurs: Then & Now, nearly 25% of engineering and technology U.S. startups have at least one immigrant founder. A report by the National Foundation for American Policy titled Immigrants and Billion Startups, stated that India is the leading country of origin for immigrant founders of billion-dollar companies in the U.S.

The first generation of Indian entrepreneurs arrived in the US in the early 1980s were -- Kanwal Rekhi, Vinod Khosla, Naren Gupta, Prabhu Goel, Suhas Patil, and many more, who went on to found notable companies like Sun Microsystems (acquired by Oracle), Excelan, and Cirrus Logic.

It is to be noted that, India's IIT produces 4th most billion-dollar startups in the World. Last year, India topped a global ranking of 21 countries as the source of the most immigrant founders of billion-dollar startups in the United States.

Meanwhile, some Indian entrepreneurs and engineers are actively exploring opportunities in countries that provide attractive citizenship privileges and opportunities to expand businesses. Canada is one example, and Toronto is emerging as a popular destination. In his blog, former LinkedIn employee Vikram Rangnekar explains that he chose to give up his H1B visa due to its highly restrictive nature and the long wait for an American green card.

Notably, a lot of Indian Startups too are now choosing Canada over the US due to later's visa uncertainty trouble, cracking the US immigration system nowadays has also become a very difficult task, a feat which only a lucky few are able to achieve. Canada has emerged as a popular immigration choice among Indian entrepreneurs after the US due to the clarity the country offers under its Canadian Startup Visa or SUV programme.

Meanwhile in India, amid new regulations of the US aimed at preventing the extension of US H1B visas, predominantly used by Indian techies, the chairman of Mahindra Group, Anand Mahindra in strong message to the IT professionals and entrepreneurs who want to come back to India to start afresh -

If that happens, then I say ‘Swagatam, Welcome Home.’ You’re coming back in time to help India Rise... https://t.co/HD2rhHRxJq

— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) January 3, 2018

Via - Yahoo News | CNN Money

Top-most Image - DNAIndia.com

Ivanka Trump Is All Set To Lead Entrepreneurship Summit In Hyderabad, India

India and US will be co-hosting the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) at Hyderabad from November 28, 2017. The event is being organised by the NITI Aayog in coordination with Ministry of External Affairs. This announcement was made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi through a series of tweets.

According to the Prime Minister, the main motive behind the three-day event is to bring together entrepreneurs of the two countries.

Commenting on the development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "The Summit is a unique opportunity for bringing together entrepreneurs and startups with global leaders. We look forward to Ms Ivanka Trump’s presence at Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2017-Hyderabad as the leader of the US delegation."

Look forward to Ms. Ivanka Trump’s presence at #GES 2017 Hyderabad as the leader of the US delegation. @realDonaldTrump @IvankaTrump

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 10, 2017

Modi, who had earlier invited US President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka during his meeting with Trump in Washington in June. Ivanka will be leading the American delegation in the upcoming event in Hyderabad, India

Ivanka presence was confirmed by US President Donald Trump through a tweet where he said, "@IvankaTrump will lead the US delegation to India this fall, supporting women's entrepreneurship globally. #GES2017 @narendramodi.”

Later on, Ivanka retweeted Modi tweet and tweeted "Honored to lead the US delegation to #GES2017 in India & meet with Prime Minister Modi & passionate entrepreneurs from around the globe!"

Honored to lead the US delegation to #GES2017 in India & meet with Prime Minister Modi & passionate entrepreneurs from around the globe! pic.twitter.com/yVyGGWua2x

— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) August 10, 2017

Earlier in July 2017, IndianWeb2 reported how India and Israel have deepened their business relationship by announcing the launch of a technology fund, the Israel India Innovation Initiative Fund, or I4F, that will focus towards growing the two countries’ business relations. In the same month, Indian Prime Minister had launched India-Israel innovation bridge to encourage startups and innovators.

Whereas in May 2017, Modi had invited startups to focus on research for innovative medical devices and use technology to make healthcare more affordable.