Appaloosa Management’s David Tepper on Thursday disclosed a new position in Intel , amid news reports that the Trump administration is considering a stake in the U.S. chipmaker. He also built a strong stake in beaten-down insurer UnitedHealth Group . The hedge fund billionaire built a sizable Intel stake of $179.2 million in Intel at the end of the second quarter, according to its latest regulatory filings. The disclosure comes after Bloomberg, citing sources familiar, said the U.S. government will potentially claim a stake in the chipmaker and support its efforts to expand domestic manufacturing. On Thursday, Intel shares closed more than 7% higher. The U.S. chipmaker has outperformed in 2025, rallying 19%, following its worst calendar year on record in 2024 as it failed to compete with overseas rivals. Intel has come under the crosshairs of President Donald Trump. In recent days, the president called for the resignation of CEO Lip-Bu Tan over allegations he has ties to China. Trump then walked back those criticisms and called Tan a “success” this week following a meeting with the CEO. Tepper also raised his bet on UnitedHealth Group, by 1,300% to a $764.3 million allocation that makes the stock the fund’s second-largest holding, according to the filing. He was not the only one buying last quarter with Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway also disclosing a new stake in the troubled insurer. The investor also continued to up his exposure to the names most exposed to the artificial intelligence buildout. He added to Nvidia, the firm’s seventh largest holding, by 483% in the second quarter, to a $276.5 million holding. He also pumped dollars into Taiwan Semiconductor , by more than 279%, and into Micron Technology , doubling his stake. However, he cut his exposure to Magnificent Seven names Meta Platforms and Alphabet , by more than 25%, each.
