Nancy Pelosi's Husband Just Bought Jim Cramer's Favorite Artificial Intelligence (AI) Chip Stock

In a newly published periodic transaction report this week, U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-California) disclosed that in late May, her husband, Paul Pelosi, bought stock options in chip giant Intel (NASDAQ: INTC).

Intel's price has appreciated substantially throughout 2026, and the latest apparent catalyst for its upward momentum was an endorsement from CNBC investment personality Jim Cramer. Let's dig into the mechanics of Paul Pelosi's Intel position and consider whether smart investors should follow his lead.

Image source: Intel.

Breaking down Pelosi's Intel position

All members of Congress are required to publicly reveal their investing moves (and those of their spouses) in a timely manner. In line with that, the transaction report signed by former Speaker of the House Pelosi on June 23 covers transactions that her husband initiated on May 29. Regarding Intel, the entry falls within the $1 million to $5 million range. The additional description states: "Purchased 200 call options with a strike price of $50 and an expiration date of 3/19/27."

These details confirm Pelosi's position in Intel is a long-dated call option position rather than shares of common stock. Of note, the filing revealed that a similar purchase of 200 call options with identical strike and expiration terms was made for Uber Technologies as well. A single call option generally equates to the right to buy 100 shares of the stock in question, so holding 200 call options gives him the right to buy 20,000 shares.

Why this Intel investment looks interesting

The structure of this Intel trade signals that Paul Pelosi has conviction that it will deliver further share price appreciation over the next several quarters.

One reason for this bullishness could be that Intel's foundry operation has shown tangible progress under CEO Lip-Bu Tan, who took the reins of the company in March 2025. Its foundries have demonstrated improved yields on advanced process nodes, positioning Intel as a viable domestic alternative to overseas rivals such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing for cutting-edge chip manufacturing.

Intel's foundry turnaround complements the company's strength in its core CPU (central processing unit) business. With AI systems advancing and the use of agentic AI expected to grow dramatically, data center operators are recognizing that their AI servers will need a far greater share of high-performance CPUs than they did for previous phases of the trend. Wall Street analysts and market observers -- including Jim Cramer -- have highlighted this shifting dynamic, noting that Intel's established CPU expertise could drive outsize growth for the company as the ratio of CPUs to GPUs in AI data centers rises. Currently, that ratio is often 1 to 8. Experts now see it heading toward 1 to 1.

Image source: Getty Images.

Should you follow Pelosi's lead?

Intel stock has risen more than 250% year to date as of this writing (June 24). With continued foundry customer traction and sustained CPU demand, the stock's runway for further upside appears meaningful.

That said, investors should take extra care when considering directly replicating any other investor's specific trades. In particular, the use of call options brings leverage, time decay, and volatility risk to your portfolio. These factors differ significantly from simply buying and holding shares of Intel common stock. While U.S. Rep. Pelosi's filing provides precise and fairly timely information about this investment, her spouse's individual circumstances, risk tolerance, and portfolio construction likely differ meaningfully from those of most retail investors.

It's also worth noting that Mr. Pelosi bought in-the-money call options: Intel was trading well above $100 when he acquired the right to buy shares later at $50. The price he paid for the options would have reflected that fact. As such, his strategy can be viewed as a move to invest in Intel using leverage, but with reduced risk.

For those evaluating opening their own positions in Intel stock, it would be better to review the company's latest technology updates, its foundry backlog figures, and its financial guidance, and then dig into the macroeconomic factors affecting semiconductor purchases and data center operators' capex budgets.

Treating any other investor's transaction as a stand-alone recommendation worth following is a risky tactic. Doing independent due diligence will always be essential.

Adam Spatacco has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Intel, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, and Uber Technologies. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.