Elon Musk has publicly confirmed talks between TSMC and Terafab, the semiconductor project founded under SpaceX. His statement came hours after Culpium reported exclusively that TSMC was exploring ways to work with the initiative.

"Just discussions, but something may come of it," Musk wrote on X at 7:51 AM on October 3, 2026. The post drew 93,700 views, 155 replies, 111 reposts and 1,740 likes within hours.

The original report, published late Friday, stated that TSMC was weighing several structures for cooperation. "The most likely scenario is for TSMC to try to own and operate the new factory," Culpium wrote. "These plans are not set in stone, with other variations on the cooperation also being considered."

Musk kept his confirmation deliberately narrow. He faces competing priorities in founding and scaling the project, and choosing a partner ranks among the largest decisions in the venture's path. Holding all options open until a deal is signed remains the prudent course.

Since publication, Culpium reports additional conversations with people familiar with the project, with a fuller account of how the TSMC-Terafab collaboration reached the negotiating table expected in coming days.

The report also connects to a parallel development. On the preceding Wednesday, Digitimes' Monica Chen and Reuters' Lee Wen-yee published news that TSMC was exploring a Texas investment beyond its existing Arizona footprint. Culpium had known of these plans for roughly six weeks but held publication pending corroboration from additional sources.

Intel faction pushes back

The original report triggered a hostile reaction from Intel supporters on X. A user posting as Alex@Alex_Intel_ called the story "bs" and argued that most Terafab hires to date came from Intel, implying Intel management would not have lost interest in the project.

Another account, Jukan@jukan05, summarized the Culpium reporting chain in a post viewed 17,200 times: TSMC is looking to participate in Terafab; recent rumors of TSMC expanding into Texas tie to efforts supporting Terafab; and collaboration with Intel on Terafab is not making progress.

What the confirmation establishes

Musk's post does not lock in an outcome. "Discussions" is the operative word, and the confirmation leaves open which cooperation structure — TSMC ownership and operation or another variant — will prevail.

The signals still carry weight for the supply chain. A TSMC-operated Terafab facility would mark a significant expansion of the world's largest contract chipmaker beyond its established geography, tying the project to a manufacturer with proven leading-edge process capability. For Intel, whose alumni reportedly staff much of Terafab's early hiring, a TSMC deal would complicate any role the company hoped to play in the venture.

Musk has described Terafab's ambition as "the most epic chip-building effort in history, by far."

The next verifiable milestones to watch: any TSMC filing or disclosure tied to a Texas site, movement in the reported Intel-Terafab track, and further public statements from either Musk or TSMC leadership.