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Former Intel CEO Calls For Prayer and Fasting For Employees 210

An anonymous reader shares a report: Former Intel chief Pat Gelsinger, who stepped down from his leadership post a week ago, is inviting people to join him in prayer and fasting for the struggling chipmaker's employees.

"Every Thursday I do a 24 hour prayer and fasting day," Gelsinger wrote on X on Sunday morning. "This week I'd invite you to join me in praying and fasting for the 100K Intel employees as they navigate this difficult period. Intel and its team is of seminal importance to the future of the industry and US."
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Former Intel CEO Calls For Prayer and Fasting For Employees

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  • by Viol8 ( 599362 ) on Thursday December 12, 2024 @08:09AM (#65007609) Homepage

    Is this for real or does this guy really have zero self awareness of how absurd he comes across as? If this was his solution to Intels problems while he was in charge no wonder its tanked recently. They're better off without him.

    • by tchdab1 ( 164848 ) on Thursday December 12, 2024 @08:13AM (#65007613) Homepage

      Gotta say it: for some terminated employees fasting is not always voluntary.

    • by phantomfive ( 622387 ) on Thursday December 12, 2024 @08:19AM (#65007623) Journal
      Intel's plan now seems to be to get money from the government. This kind of thing can work to influence some politicians.

      Btw Gelsinger grew up as a Mennonite, so he's probably also being sincere. But in the words of the legendary Ron Weasley, "He needs to sort out his priorities."
      • by mjwx ( 966435 ) on Thursday December 12, 2024 @09:38AM (#65007793)

        Intel's plan now seems to be to get money from the government. This kind of thing can work to influence some politicians.

        Btw Gelsinger grew up as a Mennonite, so he's probably also being sincere. But in the words of the legendary Ron Weasley, "He needs to sort out his priorities."

        I think by now Americans would have learned "thoughts and prayers" don't work.

        Although it seems marginally more effective than American corporate management.

        • by Rei ( 128717 ) on Thursday December 12, 2024 @09:45AM (#65007813) Homepage

          Let us try prayer:

          O Lord of Shadows and Keeper of the Infernal Flame,
          We summon Your power amidst this tempest of despair.
          From the depths of our collective strife,
          Grant strength to the countless souls who stand
          On the precipice of ruin and uncertainty.

          Banish the greed that poisons the throne of Intel's leadership,
          And let justice rise from the ashes of this corporate chaos.
          May the flames of transformation cleanse this institution,
          And from its charred remains, let the worthy ascend.

          We invoke Your wisdom to guide the displaced,
          Turning despair into defiance, and loss into legacy.
          Through darkness, let their light burn ever brighter.

          Hail to the power that dwells within us all!
          Hail to the eternal forge of will!

          As it is spoken, so let it be done.
          Hail Satan.

          • If this means banishing the "financial engineers", Hail Satan indeed...

          • That just sounds like "Return To Sender" with extra steps.

        • Intel's plan now seems to be to get money from the government. This kind of thing can work to influence some politicians.

          Btw Gelsinger grew up as a Mennonite, so he's probably also being sincere. But in the words of the legendary Ron Weasley, "He needs to sort out his priorities."

          I think by now Americans would have learned "thoughts and prayers" don't work.

          Although it seems marginally more effective than American corporate management.

          They only work in the way it seems to be an excuse to not address the actual issues?

        • I think by now Americans would have learned "thoughts and prayers" don't work.

          "Thoughts and prayers" work just fine. It's a way to feel good about doing nothing to help.

        • I think by now Americans would have learned "thoughts and prayers" don't work.

          We have very clearly demonstrated that not only have we learned nothing, we are incapable of learning anything at all.

        • I think by now Americans would have learned "thoughts and prayers" don't work.

          Give it a chance. It's always possible this time it will work. Unlike the 13,245,666 times it's been tried before.
      • The Gov't was giving out money to build a chip factory in America because of supply chain fears and Intel took that money, but they weren't going out of their way to lobby for it, they're just sucking down an existing gov't contract.

        I don't think Intel has a plan. Right now they're just going to fire tons and tons of people to make Wall Street happy. But they're letting go engineers. Lots of them. Who are going to get snapped up by rival companies.

        For years Intel & Nvidia have monopolized the be
        • by HiThere ( 15173 )

          IIUC, ARM is aiming for a different market segment than is AMD. ARM is aiming at the "low power use end" and AMD is aiming at the "high performance end".

    • by quenda ( 644621 )

      Gelsinger is a disciple of Gavin Belson.

    • by AntronArgaiv ( 4043705 ) on Thursday December 12, 2024 @08:33AM (#65007649)

      Words fail me. I'm glad he's found a way to help employees, but I humbly suggest that cash would be a more welcome and more effective approach

      • Words fail me. I'm glad he's found a way to help employees, but I humbly suggest that cash would be a more welcome and more effective approach

        I've been informed multiple times that corporate logowear is much more appreciated than cash. Show some corporate pride, for profit's sake!

        • That's right! I don't want no silly Christmas bonus. The corporate logo coffee cup tumbler is the way to go. You can't drink out of cash!

    • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

      You got it all wrong.
      He aims to be the next president of God's own country.

    • by 2TecTom ( 311314 )

      Intel's ousted CEO may get more than $10 million in severance. Gelsinger’s exact net worth is unknown but varies with the share prices of stocks he has major holdings in, including Intel and VMWare. Wallmine offers the lowest estimate, at $48.4 million as of August 2024. Benzinga’s estimate is the highest at $104 million as of mid-November 2024.

    • It is not exactly a surprise that Thoughts and Prayers to the Fairies leads to nonsense results.
    • I'm one of the affected employees- or rather ex-employee, and I see this as being *completely genuine*. It is well within his morals and his Grovean Principles.

    • Is this for real or does this guy really have zero self awareness of how absurd he comes across as? If this was his solution to Intels problems while he was in charge no wonder its tanked recently. They're better off without him.

      Gavin Belson really took that retreat to heart, man.

    • God already has a plan, right? And God already knows all about their suffering and needs, right?

      So God will already do what needs to be done, right?

      When we ask God for something in prayer, either what we are asking for is already what God planned to do, or it is requesting God to change His plans.

      If it was already what God planned to do, then there is no reason to ask for it. God will do it anyway. And if it is asking God to change His plans, then God will just ignore the prayer, because God's plans will

      • by Guignol ( 159087 )
        The plan is to make you pray :)
      • God as we envision him was created by men, in their own image. There are parts of the Bible where Yahweh is argued into submission by men, because Iron Age people weren't philosophically all that sophisticated. God was just a powerful invisible father figure who told you to listen to your elders, and kill the people they didn't like.

    • does this guy really have zero self awareness of how absurd

      I think he has a lot of self awareness. I think he's very aware of his stock holdings and options and watches them by the minute.

      This is actually a smart move. If he can make it out like the company is in dire straights, get the pity vote and maybe even some direct pity stock purchases, then maybe his options will be worth something and his stock holdings won't tank. The more "OMG we can't let Intel go under" he can engender, the more government money might shake lose.

      So yes, I think his self awareness i

    • by gweihir ( 88907 )

      Indeed. Like he is a few hundred years stuck in the past.

    • by Wonko the Sane ( 25252 ) * on Thursday December 12, 2024 @12:22PM (#65008187) Journal

      Is this for real or does this guy really have zero self awareness of how absurd he comes across as?

      My brother is an engineer who survived the round of layoffs but now he's leaving specifically because they are pushing out Gelsinger.

      Not everyone in the world is a anti-Christan fanatic and plenty of Intel employees either were neutral or else appreciated Gelsinger outspokenness about his faith and most enjoyed working for a fellow engineer instead of a Wall Street coin clipper.

      • a anti-Christan fanatic

        It doesn't matter if he is Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, or Hindu. It doesn't matter if he is religious. The perceived problem is that he is relying on someone who doesn't exist (one does not need to be a fanatic to see it that way; one needs to be a fanatic to be offended over others not making assumptions without evidence) to solve his problems for him by hurting himself.

        Which is unfair, because there really is nothing he can do. But it does seem bizarre that he appears to rely on a miracle happening.

    • Is this for real or does this guy really have zero self awareness of how absurd he comes across as?

      He has left and retired with a stupid amount of money. He doesn't give a fuck how he comes across or what anyone thinks of his trendy fasting diet.

      If this was his solution to Intels problems while he was in charge no wonder its tanked recently.

      For all the problems with Intel very recently he did actually make some positive changes to a company that was diseased long before he took over.

  • by shilly ( 142940 ) on Thursday December 12, 2024 @08:16AM (#65007617)

    perhaps Intel wouldn't have been in such trouble if its CEO wasn't suffering from low blood sugar every Thursday

    • I think this is why nowadays it's more popular among those who believe in such things to stick with thoughts and prayers. If starving yourself to get God's attention really worked, the Donner Party would've ended quite differently.

      Of course, if thoughts and prayers worked, we'd... never mind, I'm not gonna go there.

    • I'm sure they eat fast food really quick.
  • by dunkelfalke ( 91624 ) on Thursday December 12, 2024 @08:22AM (#65007627)

    Insanity is doing the exact same fucking thing over and over again expecting shit to change.

  • Another day (Score:2, Insightful)

    by Baron_Yam ( 643147 )

    Another piece of evidence that executing CEOs of major corporations is a moral imperative.

  • Ok, now his âoeresignationâ makes a lot of sense
  • Thursday? (Score:4, Insightful)

    by bill_mcgonigle ( 4333 ) * on Thursday December 12, 2024 @08:35AM (#65007651) Homepage Journal

    Take a Sabbath, that's great.

    But Thursday?

    Is this when you're extrinsically devout but you don't want your weekends booked up?

    • It comes from an actual knowledge of history, as opposed to a fake presentism of history.

      • Do tell.

        The Sabbath is originally Saturday,
        With Emperor Constantine, the now surviving parts of Christianity switched to Sunday.
        Except Muslims, who switched to Friday instead.

        So what is the historical justification for Thursday? Does it have anything to do with Thor?

        • by HiThere ( 15173 )

          A quick google indicated that Thursday fasting is a Hindu tradition. I don't think Constantine was involved.

    • It's no wonder I don't understand thursdays.
      No matter how many towels I have.

  • It's easy to stay up for 24 hours without eating when you've just had your meth. Prayer, I dunno. If it makes you pray for 24 hours straight, you may have more serious problems than a meth addiction.

  • Prayer, or... (Score:5, Informative)

    by sacrilicious ( 316896 ) <qbgfynfu.opt@recursor.net> on Thursday December 12, 2024 @08:56AM (#65007689) Homepage
    ... or I could do something else that's equally effective: nothing.
    • Nonsense. When the CEO of a high profile, troubled company says this type of thing publicly, it is very effective free marketing / lobbying / pimping for potential M&A, depending on who specifically he's hoping will show up with a bag of someone else's money. Just the fact that you're commenting on it proves his action got *your* attention -- along with millions of others, a very select few of whom are in a position to actually do something about it if they choose to -- which is 100% of his goal. Pre
    • ... or I could do something else that's equally effective: nothing.

      But that's what he's doing! In fact he's not even eating. He's doing more of nothing than you are reading this right now.

  • Fuck... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by MightyMartian ( 840721 ) on Thursday December 12, 2024 @08:57AM (#65007693) Journal

    Goddamnit but the US is descending into idiocy and farce. I'm an atheist, so I think this is moronic on a metaphysical level, but if I were a Christian, I would find the idea that the creator of the universe gives a flying fuck about Intel absurd.

    American Christianity is utter and complete idiocy; performative and moronic.

    • by dmay34 ( 6770232 )

      I'm a devout christian. Can confirm that I don't believe that God gives a flying fuck about Intel.

      • But to be clear, He does care about the employees as people. And I know nothing about the life of the CEO, so this isn't a judgment on him at all. But I'm sure there are some CEOs out there who should read and understand James 5:1-5

        1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. 3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye

        • I like your message. And, I like a little vulgarity with my bible. The flowery translation kills the message.

          You see a naked person or hungry person and say, "thoughts and prayers" and send them away with nothing to wear or eat you have not shown faith in Jesus (the Christ in Christian). Please affect change in yourself or stop misrepresenting, it's great you believe, some of the worst of you do, but your "faith" isn't recognized because it can't be seen because you don't act on it and the works don

  • by linuxguy ( 98493 ) on Thursday December 12, 2024 @08:58AM (#65007703) Homepage

    will do little good. They don't even work for saving young school children from mass shootings.

    Competent leadership? Now that actually might help.

  • by Mirnotoriety ( 10462951 ) on Thursday December 12, 2024 @09:12AM (#65007733)
    Which particular Sky God are we supposed to pray to?
  • Fuck that asshole (Score:5, Informative)

    by ArchieBunker ( 132337 ) on Thursday December 12, 2024 @09:16AM (#65007741)

    Imagine if instead of buying $110 billion in stocks https://www.intc.com/stock-inf... [intc.com] they could have paid employees.

    • Why blame Pat Gelsinger for things his predecessor did?

    • they could have paid employees.

      Intel was known for a lot of things, but not paying employees or even paying below market rates was not one of them. Find a different hill to die on.

  • by Snard ( 61584 ) <snard12.gmail@com> on Thursday December 12, 2024 @09:25AM (#65007761) Homepage
    ... I could never get the hang of Thursdays.
  • With idiots like that at the helm, how else could it be?
  • by CEC-P ( 10248912 ) on Thursday December 12, 2024 @09:51AM (#65007831)
    Stop releasing defective, rusty crap and incremental garbage and just upping the wattage and pretending you invented something. That may also be effective.
  • by MitchDev ( 2526834 ) on Thursday December 12, 2024 @10:17AM (#65007899)

    Cuckoo McNutjob.....

  • Fallacies. (Score:3, Insightful)

    by hmilz ( 3035377 ) on Thursday December 12, 2024 @10:24AM (#65007911)
    While fasting can have positive health effects, did praying ever help beyond the "correlated means causal" fallacy, for arbitrary sample sizes? It's beyond me that people still fall for the illusion that praying would do more good that giving you a warm fuzzy feeling. While it's actually escapism. (A) God is not going to create new jobs and he does not pay your rents.
    • If you pray for granny and she recovers, it's a miracle. If you pray for granny and she dies, it's God's inscrutable will.

      Good luck falsifying that.

  • When you want to give the illusion of helping without actually having to do anything - pray.
  • And there was me thinking thoughts and prayers were for victims of school shootings, before they are denigrated in talk shows for being actors.

    Ok... Prayer and fasting for employees before being laid of, and thoughts and prayers for school children before being mowed down. What's the remedy for victims of criminal neglect? Of regulation loopholes? Of cranked up medication prices?

  • by Lewie ( 3743 )

    No wonder Intel is struggling.

    • The C level execs and other suits are not struggling. They're making out like bandits and when the company does collapse they'll all take similar jobs elsewhere.

  • We've reach some kind of satanic confluence where CEOs spout the same kind of religious bullshit in regards to their flailing company that politicians spout when pretending to deal with gun violence in society (USA division).

  • I shall pray to The Almighty Bunghole and fast from everything but sugar and caffeine. You know, for spiritual reasons.

  • Is that how the Gigahertz war was won?
    By fasting and doping? (of course!)

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