According to CNBC, Intel CFO David Zinsner revealed at an investor conference on Thursday (Aug 28) that the company received a $5.7 billion cash payment from the U.S. government late Wednesday. This payout is part of the $8.9 billion investment deal announced earlier by the Trump administration, which includes a 9.9% equity stake in Intel.

While the funds are starting to flow, the report noted that the U.S. Commerce Department is still finalizing the details of the deal. This means the core agreement has kicked off, but legal and structural terms remain under discussion.

Intel's stock has faced pressure despite posting better-than-expected Q2 results on July 25, with shares dropping 8% over concerns about its foundry business. Under the agreement, the U.S. aims to secure Intel's control over its contract chipmaking operations. As an extra safeguard, the government also received a 5% warrant, which can be exercised if Intel's ownership stake falls below 51%. Zinsner downplayed this risk, saying the company is unlikely to let its holdings drop under 50%, making the warrant “l(fā)ikely worthless.”

Intel has been separating its foundry and design businesses with independent governance, and it may bring in external investors in the future. Zinsner stressed that, if it happens, Intel would prefer strategic partners over purely financial investors, but such plans are still years away.

Looking ahead, Intel's foundry future hinges on landing major customers for its upcoming 14A process next year. Failure to do so could force the company to scale back or exit the business, a risk Intel disclosed in July filings. However, Zinsner said this disclosure was largely a legal formality rather than an actual forecast from management.

He also emphasized Intel's commitment to financial discipline and 14A technology development. Without external clients, the scale of investment would be too large to generate a meaningful return for shareholders.

As of Thursday's trading session, Intel's stock was down 0.18%, at $24.80 per share.