GoKawiilTSMC's Wei confirms talks with Musk's Terafab, says TSMC must operate any shared fab
TSMC CEO C.C. Wei told analysts on an earnings call that the company is evaluating US expansion beyond Arizona, including Texas, and confirmed ongoing discussions with Elon Musk about using capacity at Terafab. Wei said any TSMC involvement would require TSMC itself to manage the facility, a condition that conflicts with Musk's earlier suggestion that Terafab would operate the fab while only sub-leasing cleanroom space to TSMC.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The disagreement over who operates the fab suggests the two sides have not yet settled on a structure, which could affect how quickly or whether the deal materializes. If TSMC insists on its usual joint-venture model, as used with ESMC and JASM, it may signal the company wants to replicate a proven governance approach rather than cede control to an outside operator like Musk.
- TSMC is considering US capacity expansion beyond Arizona, with Texas named as an active option.
- Wei confirmed talks with Elon Musk's Terafab project but no final agreement has been reached.
- TSMC says it would require operational control of any shared fab, contradicting Musk's earlier statement that Terafab would run the facility.
Source: tomshardware.com — Anton Shilov, 2026-10-15
Published there as: “TSMC confirms it is considering Terafab chipmaking expansion with Elon Musk”
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