Intel Shares Gain After Trump Reaffirms $5,000 Payment Plan

Intel (INTC) shares climbed 2.5% to around $102.84 late Friday after President Donald Trump reiterated that his proposed $5,000 midterm election payment to US adults will go ahead as planned.

The gain added to a recent rally that pushed the chipmaker past the $100 mark. Washington bought into Intel at $20.47 per share last year, and the administration has frequently highlighted the resulting paper profit.

Lutnick Cites Intel Stake as Funding Source

On the heels of Trump's statement, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told NBC News that the payments would not come from tax revenue.

President Trump insists his proposed $5,000 "Trump Dividend" for all US adults "will happen," claiming it will be funded by incoming economic investment.

"When I say something, I mean it,". pic.twitter.com/gRcJjwbBu4

— BeInCrypto (@beincrypto) September 11, 2026

Instead, he pointed to the government's Intel holdings as a means to finance the plan, calling the INTC shares an asset the government can profit from rather than tax.

“Everybody knows we got just about 500 million shares, and the stock was $20, and now it’s $100, so we’re up $50 billion,” said Lutnick.

The US government owns 433.3 million shares, purchased for $8.9 billion. At $102.84 each, that stake is worth about $44.6 billion. The gain is roughly $36 billion, matching the figure BeInCrypto reported earlier this week.

Stake Covers Only a Small Portion of the Cost

Independent calculations put the total cost of the dividend at about $1.2 trillion, based on roughly 240 million adult citizens. The entire Intel position would cover close to 4% of that amount.

U.S. Commerce Sec. Howard Lutnick said Trump’s proposed $5,000 dividend checks could be funded by money the U.S. “earns,” not taxes, citing its Intel stake.

For perspective: a 10% $INTC stake would require a $13.5T valuation to fund a $1.35T payout, ~31x today. pic.twitter.com/t3MD9ccaLl

— Wall St Engine (@wallstengine) September 11, 2026

None of the stake is cash. The shares have not been sold, and selling off a 9.9% block would almost certainly push the price lower.

Other administration officials have offered different explanations. Kevin Hassett has mentioned budget reconciliation in Congress, while Vice President JD Vance has pointed to tariffs.

Traders are interpreting each mention of the stake as a signal that Washington plans to keep the shares. Whether the dividend can be funded remains uncertain, a question the November election may decide.