Intel Capital’s enormous investment portfolio, which in early 2000
was valued as much as $8 billion and by June 2002 had fallen to $1.46
billion, has been the subject of some derision. Critics charge that Intel
engages in “drive-by investing.” They argue that the company cannot
possibly coordinate with its own operations—or even effectively monitor—
the more than eight hundred investments it has made in the 1990s
and the 475 that it held in June 2002.