Paul Otellini, who helped bring Intel chips to Mac, dies at 66


Paul Otellini
Former Intel CEO Paul Otellini.
Photo: Intel Corporation

Paul Otellini, the former CEO of Intel, who had a huge influence on helping Apple make the transition away from AMD processors on its Mac lineup, died earlier this week.

Otellini passed away in his sleep on Monday, Oct. 2 at the age of 66. He was the fifth CEO of Intel and helped the company make some huge strategic adjustments that helped it maintain its lead as the world’s premier manufacturer of computer CPUs.

Apple CEO Tim Cook tweeted his condolences to the Otelleni family this morning saying he was a great friend of the company.

Otelleni served in various roles at the company since he join Intel in 1990. He eventually climbed all the way up to the CEO post in 2005. Later that year, Apple announced it would switch to Intel processors during its WWDC keynote which was huge news at the time.

Under Otelleni’s leadership, Intel became more profitable than ever, raking in more money during his 8 years in charge than the company made in the last 45 years combined.

“Paul’s business acumen, optimism and dedication fueled our growth throughout his tenure as CEO,” said Intel Chairman Andy Bryant. “His tireless drive, discipline and humility were cornerstones of his leadership and live on in our company values to this day.”