In 2010, Intel acquired McAfee for $7.68 billion.
Intel announced the proposed purchase on August 19, 2010, offering $48 per McAfee share. The deal joined a major semiconductor manufacturer with one of the best-known names in computer security. Intel argued that security needed to be built more deeply into devices, processors, and connected systems rather than treated only as software added afterward.
The acquisition closed in February 2011, and McAfee became part of Intel’s security operations. In 2014, Intel rebranded the business as Intel Security, although McAfee products and the recognizable shield identity remained familiar to users. The transaction also drew regulatory attention: European approval required Intel to provide rival security companies with information needed for their products to work with Intel chips and computers.
The arrangement did not last permanently. In 2016, Intel agreed to sell a majority stake to TPG Capital, creating an independent cybersecurity joint venture. That separation was completed in 2017, when the McAfee name returned. Symantec, Cisco, and Microsoft were major technology or security competitors, not the buyer in this transaction.