Morris believes people will want to start fabulous chip companies, and that they will need a foundry to fab those chips. He says the one thing which stopped them from leaving their companies was they couldn't raise enough money to form their own company. The government had told him, ok, you kno figure it' going to take a lot of money to set up a fab. morris is kind of like, he knows what the long term market is going to be, but he's got a find the short term market.
It's time. We dive into the unbelievable history behind the quietest technology giant of them all — and as of recording the world's 9th (!) most valuable company — the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. This story checks every box in the Acquired pantheon of greatness: China, America, MIT, Don Valentine, Silicon Valley, "real men" looking silly, and... moats literally built by lasers. We're not kidding. Pull up a seat and settle in for a great one!
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