Samsung Electronics just blew past every financial record in its history. On Thursday, the South Korean giant reported that its profit more than tripled during the final three months of the year, easily beating what even the most optimistic experts predicted.
The numbers are massive. Samsung brought in 93.8 trillion won (about $65.6 billion) in revenue, while its operating profit hit 20.1 trillion won. This performance finally toppled the company’s previous all-time high set back in 2018.
So, what is behind this explosion in cash? It all comes down to a global scramble for artificial intelligence. Specifically, the world is running low on a high-tech component called High-Bandwidth Memory, or HBM. These specialized chips are the “brain power” inside the massive data centers that run AI programs.
Companies like Nvidia are currently desperate for these chips, and demand is far outstripping what factories can actually produce. Because Samsung is one of the few companies that can make them at scale, it now has incredible bargaining power.
This AI hunger is creating a ripple effect for regular shoppers, too. Since Samsung and its rivals are focusing almost all their energy on expensive AI chips, they are making fewer basic chips for everyday gadgets. This has created a shortage that is driving up the prices of laptops, tablets, and smartphones across the board.
Samsung isn’t the only one cashing in on this trend. Its main rival, SK Hynix, also reported record-breaking earnings just yesterday. It seems the entire semiconductor industry is riding a massive wave of AI-driven growth that shows no signs of slowing down.
Looking ahead to the rest of 2026, Samsung expects the demand for AI servers to keep climbing. The company told investors it plans to stay laser-focused on these high-performance products to keep its profits at record levels. While the stock price bobbed up and down a bit after the announcement, the message to the world was clear: the AI era is making Samsung richer than ever.
