Intel Fell 2.6%, About $15.5 Billion, and TSMC's ADR Closed at a Record After Elon Musk Confirmed TSMC Talks on His Terafab Project With Eight Words: 'Just Discussions, but Something May Come of It'

On Sunday, Oct 4, 2026, Elon Musk replied on X to a post about Culpium's Oct 2 report that TSMC is exploring a role in his Terafab chip-manufacturing project in Texas: 'Just discussions, but something may come of it.' On Monday, Oct 5, Intel fell about 4% before the open and closed down 2.6% at $116.26; on 5.044 billion shares outstanding (10-Q, as of Jul 17, 2026) the move is about $15.5 billion of market value. TSMC's US-listed ADR closed at a record $486.00, up 2.8% and above the $477.57 of Jul 1, and its Taipei shares rose 3%. Intel joined Terafab in April, when its 14A process was named the project's sole manufacturing technology; 14A remains the only process named. Culpium's report describes a structure in which TSMC would own and operate the fab with Terafab as anchor customer, the model of its JASM venture in Japan and ESMC in Germany. SpaceX has told the SEC that neither Tesla nor Intel is obligated to remain in Terafab and that definitive agreements may never be reached; no agreement has been signed. The card reads the move as the market repricing the probability that Intel is Terafab's only foundry, on a reply rather than a contract.