"Gelsinger was firmly against breaking up the company, but the prolonged and expensive turnaround has tested shareholder patience, potentially forcing Intel to reconsider." Intel's board evaluated a number of scenarios during a critical meeting in September, including the idea of a breakup. The discussions followed an abysmal earnings report the previous month, when Intel posted a surprise loss and a disappointing sales forecast. But Intel pushed forward with less radical changes, including a pause in the construction of plants in Poland and Germany. The company also is slashing roughly 15,000 jobs and suspended its decades-old dividend — part of attempts to conserve cash and keep Gelsinger's turnaround plan on track. (The company is important to Ohio because it's building a massive new complex outside Columbus, a project for which it received federal aid from the Chips and Science Act.) If the new CEO goes ahead with a bigger shake-up, these are deal ideas that Intel could revisit: 1.