Intel's got a bit of a headache with the disproportionate number of senior engineering positions, especially those Principal Engineer types and up. These folks

Intel's got a bit of a headache with the disproportionate number of senior engineering positions, especially those Principal Engineer types and up. These folks are pretty much untouchable when it comes to reshuffling the company because firing them is a real pain - you need sign-offs from all over the place. Back in the day, these roles were for Intel's superstars, but now? It's more about who you know than what you know. So we've ended up with a bunch of people pulling in over $750k a year, and a lot of them aren't really bringing that much to the table. It's like having a sports team full of overpaid benchwarmers.