Rene Haas, the CEO of Arm, is pushing his company into chip fabrication for the first time. A risky bet that could change the tech landscape—or just create some tough neighbours in Silicon Valley.

Haas, who took over as CEO in 2022 after SoftBank’s acquisition and subsequent privatization, is aiming to bring Arm back to its roots while also diversifying its revenue streams. After years of licensing designs to other tech giants like Apple and Tesla, the company is now dipping directly into hardware.

The move is significant because it puts Arm in direct competition with its longstanding partners. 'Can you stay best buddies after you buy their house?' Haas seems confident, but only time will tell if he can navigate these murky waters without creating some lasting hard feelings.

Despite the potential backlash, Haas argues that as a compute platform company, Arm needs to build its own chips for the ecosystem’s benefit. He believes this interdependency between hardware and software is crucial, especially in today's tech-driven world.

For now, the world watches with bated breath to see how this new chapter unfolds for Arm, and whether Haas can both hold onto his old friends and make new ones in the process.