Chip War

In Chapter 21, Miller explores how Jack Simplot, a billionaire known for his potato business, unexpectedly helped revive America’s struggling DRAM chip industry through his investment in Micron Technology. Founded by the Parkinson brothers in Boise, Idaho, Micron faced fierce competition from Japan’s chip giants, who dominated the market with lower-priced and higher-quality products. Despite entering the memory chip market at a time when Silicon Valley was retreating, Simplot’s financial backing and Micron’s ruthless focus on cost-cutting helped the company survive. Simplot’s instinct for investing in commodities during downturns, coupled with Micron’s innovative manufacturing processes, allowed the small Idaho startup to challenge larger rivals. Micron’s success ultimately highlighted the importance of scrappy ingenuity, efficiency, and strategic timing in reversing America’s semiconductor “death spiral.”

In Chapter 22, Miller details how Intel, under the leadership of Andy Grove, shifted from memory chips (DRAMs) to microprocessors, a decision that saved the company from collapse. Grove, known for his intense management style, realized that Intel could not compete with Japanese firms in the DRAM market. He advocated for exiting the memory business, despite the risk of abandoning Intel’s core identity. The gamble paid off as Intel became dominant in microprocessors, especially after partnering with IBM for its personal computer launch in 1981.