Cardinal Health vs Intel: Founders, CEOs and History

Company facts

Founders

CEOs and their tenures

Timeline: Cardinal Health and Intel side by side

1. 1968Intel

   Intel Founded

   Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore founded Intel.

2. 1971Cardinal Health

   Cardinal Foods Founded by Robert D. Walter

   Robert D. Walter, a 26-year-old Harvard MBA graduate, borrowed $1.3 million to acquire the food-distribution division of Consolidated Foods in a leveraged buyout, establishing Cardinal Foods in Columbus, Ohio.

3. 1971Intel

   4004 Microprocessor

   Intel introduced the 4004, one of the first commercial microprocessors.

4. 1979Cardinal Health

   Pivot to Pharmaceutical Distribution

   Walter acquired Bailey Drug Co., a pharmaceutical distributor in Zanesville, Ohio, marking Cardinal's entry into pharmaceutical distribution.

5. 1983Cardinal Health

   Cardinal Distribution Goes Public

   Cardinal Distribution Inc. completed its initial public offering on the NASDAQ at $1.03 per share, providing capital for continued expansion through acquisitions.

6. 1984Cardinal Health

   Acquisition of Ellicott Drug

   Cardinal acquired Ellicott Drug, a pharmaceutical distributor in Buffalo, New York, continuing the acquisition-driven expansion strategy that would define the company's growth for decades.

7. 1985Intel

   386 Processor

   Intel strengthened the x86 franchise that later dominated PCs.

8. 1988Cardinal Health

   Sale of Food Operations to Roundy's Inc.

   Cardinal sold its remaining food operations to Roundy's Inc., completing the company's transition from a diversified food and drug distributor to a pure-play pharmaceutical distribution company.

9. 1993Intel

   Pentium Processor Launched

   Intel introduced the Pentium processor in 1993.

10. 1994Cardinal Health

    Name Change to Cardinal Health

    The company changed its name from Cardinal Distribution to Cardinal Health, reflecting its expanding mission beyond pure distribution into healthcare services, manufacturing, and technology. Revenues exceeded $1 billion by 1991.

11. 1995Cardinal Health

    Acquisition of Medicine Shoppe International

    Cardinal acquired Medicine Shoppe International, the country's largest franchise of retail pharmacies, marking the company's first significant non-distribution acquisition and entry into retail pharmacy.

12. 1996Cardinal Health

    Acquisition of Pyxis Corp.

    Cardinal acquired Pyxis Corp., a manufacturer of automated supply and pharmaceutical dispensing systems for hospitals, adding medical technology capabilities to the company's portfolio.

13. 1999Cardinal Health

    Acquisition of Allegiance Healthcare Corp.

    Cardinal acquired Allegiance Healthcare Corp. for approximately $4.4 billion, becoming a major player in the medical-surgical products market and establishing the foundation for what would become the Global Medical Products and Distribution segment.

14. 2006Intel

    Core Architecture

    Intel revived product leadership with the Core architecture.

15. 2013Cardinal Health

    Red Oak Sourcing Joint Venture with CVS

    Cardinal Health and CVS Caremark announced the creation of Red Oak Sourcing, a 50/50 joint venture to form the largest generic pharmaceutical sourcing entity in the United States. The venture began operations in July 2014 with an initial 10-year term.

16. 2014Cardinal Health

    Loss of Walgreens Contract

    Cardinal Health lost a major pharmaceutical distribution contract with Walgreens, which shifted its distribution to AmerisourceBergen. The contract had generated $3.3 billion in quarterly revenue.

17. 2017Cardinal Health

    Acquisition of Patient Recovery Business from Medtronic

    Cardinal Health acquired the Patient Recovery business from Medtronic for $6.1 billion, expanding its medical products portfolio and adding significant scale to the Global Medical Products and Distribution segment.

18. 2021Intel

    IDM 2.0 Announced

    Intel announced a strategy to expand manufacturing and foundry capabilities.

19. 2021Intel

    Pat Gelsinger Becomes CEO

    Pat Gelsinger became Intel chief executive in February 2021.

20. 2024Cardinal Health

    OptumRx Contract Non-Renewal Announced

    Cardinal Health's pharmaceutical distribution contracts with OptumRx (part of UnitedHealth Group) expired at the end of June 2024 and were not renewed. They represented about $38.1 billion of fiscal 2024 revenue.

21. 2025Cardinal Health

    Fiscal 2025 Results and Raised FY2026 Guidance

    Cardinal Health reported fiscal 2025 revenue of $222.6 billion, down about 2% after the OptumRx contract expiration, while net earnings rose to about $1.6 billion.

22. 2025Intel

    Lip-Bu Tan Becomes CEO

    Lip-Bu Tan became CEO and reset the turnaround agenda around execution, cost, and focus.

23. 2025Intel

    $52.853B Revenue

    Intel reported $52.853B in revenue and a $267M net loss attributable to Intel.

24. 2025Intel

    U.S. Government Takes 9.9% Stake

    The U.S. government bought 433.3 million Intel shares at $20.47 for $8.9 billion, becoming the largest shareholder.

25. 2025Intel

    Nvidia Invests $5 Billion

    Nvidia agreed to invest $5 billion in Intel and co-develop x86 PC and data-center products.

26. 2025Intel

    Altera Majority Sold

    Intel closed the sale of 51% of Altera to Silver Lake on September 12, 2025.

27. 2026Cardinal Health

    Fiscal 2026 Revenue Reaches $254.2 Billion

    Fiscal 2026 revenue rose 14% to $254.2 billion and non-GAAP EPS rose 37% to $11.26, with profit growth in all five operating segments.

28. 2026Intel

    Q2 Revenue Up 25%

    Intel reported $16.1 billion in Q2 2026 revenue, its fastest growth in more than 15 years.

Acquisitions

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