Then came a tweet from the often-well-placed Dylan Patel of SemiAnalysis that mentioned Intel, Musk, GlobalFoundries and Qualcomm. It wasn't clear if the Tesla, SpaceX and X boss, and presidential influencer with a White House pass, might be a suitor or an intermediary in talks.

Intel's failure could present geopolitical risks, according to industry insiders, because it builds U.S. chip production. Intel is desperate, and a buyout might save the company. This article first appeared on GuruFocus.

Key Takeaways Intel shares added to recent gains Tuesday following a report last week that the company could be a takeover target. Rival chipmaker Broadcom is the most likely buyer, some analysts said,