The Time Exxon Went Into the Semiconductor Business (and Failed)
And it wasn't just Exxon. In Silicon Valley's early days, all sorts of major corporations tried to get a piece of the pie.
by Alexis C. Madrigal
May 17, 2013
2 minutes
Zilog was founded by Intel veterans Federico Faggin and Ralph Ungermann in 1974.* Their first microprocessor, the Z80, was a hit. Intel's products, the company's Dave House admitted, "kind of got stomped on by Zilog with their Z80." But Zilog's success brought trouble in an unlikely form: Exxon.
First, Exxon made a large investment in exchange for 51 percent of the company. Then, they to some of its employees and the investment firm Warburg Pincus.
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