CEO’s Bible Verse After Layoffs Ignites Mixed Reactions

Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger’s recent social media post quoting a biblical verse from Proverbs has stirred controversy, coinciding with the company’s announcement of significant layoffs. Gelsinger shared Proverbs 4:25-26 on X, stating, “Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways,” just days after revealing that Intel would cut about 17,000 jobs as part of a $10 billion cost-reduction plan.

The decision to lay off over 15% of Intel’s workforce follows a dramatic 26% drop in the company’s stock price, which marked its worst decline in 50 years. The announcement led to widespread criticism, with some X users questioning the appropriateness of Gelsinger’s religious message in light of the company’s financial difficulties and accusing him of using religion as a coping mechanism.

Gelsinger, who has been with Intel since his youth and became CEO in 2021, has frequently posted Bible verses on his social media account. He is a committed Christian and co-founded Transforming the Bay with Christ while at VMWare, a nonprofit aimed at fostering a Christian movement in the San Francisco Bay Area.

In his communication to Intel employees, Gelsinger described the layoffs as necessary to align the company’s cost structure with its new operating model. He acknowledged the difficulty of the decision and emphasized the need for bold actions to address the company’s financial challenges. Despite receiving $8.5 billion in federal grants to support U.S. chipmaking, Intel’s job cuts come amid a broader tech sector downturn, with major tech companies experiencing a combined $1 trillion loss in market value.

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