Samsung's Chip Business Profits Surpass Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft

Samsung Electronics recorded outstanding performance from its memory chip business in the first quarter of 2026. Even the revenue from that division alone is said to have surpassed the performance of several global technology giants such as Amazon, Meta Platforms, and Microsoft.

Based on a report citing data from Counterpoint Research, Samsung booked memory revenue of $50.4 billion (approximately Rp 800 trillion) for the January–March 2026 period.

This figure consists of $37 billion from DRAM and $13.4 billion from NAND, both of which set all-time highs.

This surge was primarily driven by high demand for memory chips for artificial intelligence (AI) needs, such as data centres and cloud-based computing.

In addition to revenue, Samsung’s memory business profitability also drew attention. The company’s semiconductor division is estimated to contribute the majority of its operating profit, which reached around $38.9 billion (approximately Rp 620 trillion) in one quarter.

By comparison, the operating profits of major technology companies in the previous period were lower. Amazon recorded around $25 billion, Meta $24.7 billion, and Microsoft around $20.6 billion.

The chart shows that Samsung’s financial performance in the first quarter of 2026 was able to surpass several global technology giants.

Samsung booked an operating profit of $38.9 billion (approximately Rp 620 trillion), higher than Amazon’s $25 billion, Meta’s $24.7 billion, and Microsoft’s $20.6 billion in the previous period.

This achievement reaffirms the strength of Samsung’s chip business, particularly memory, driven by the surge in demand from the artificial intelligence (AI) industry, enabling it to overtake the performance of some of the world’s largest technology companies.

Global memory chip demand is currently dominated by AI needs. Technologies like large language models and cloud computing require large amounts of high-speed memory, especially DRAM and High Bandwidth Memory (HBM).

This situation makes memory producers like Samsung one of the most benefited parties. Even demand from major technology companies is said to far exceed production capacity, thereby driving price increases and revenue.

Amid this trend, Samsung benefits not only as a device manufacturer but also as a key component supplier for the global AI industry.

The combination of high demand and limited supply marks the memory industry entering a new phase often referred to as a “supercycle”. In this phase, chip producers’ prices and revenues tend to increase over the long term.

With its position as the world’s largest memory producer, Samsung is expected to continue being one of the main winners in the global AI wave, even as other technology companies race to build their artificial intelligence infrastructure.