Samsung hits $80 billion profit as AI chip boom breaks records

SEOUL — October 8, 2026: Samsung Electronics is projecting a record quarterly operating profit of 107.4 trillion won, equivalent to about $80.2 billion, as surging global demand for artificial-intelligence infrastructure drives unprecedented demand for memory chips.

The preliminary figure represents an almost nine-fold increase from the 12.17 trillion won recorded during the same quarter last year and makes it the company’s fourth consecutive quarter of record operating profit.

Samsung said third-quarter revenue is expected to reach approximately 195 trillion won, a 127% increase from a year earlier. The company is expected to publish its detailed earnings results, including performance by business division, later this month.

AI CHIP DEMAND DRIVES THE SURGE

The semiconductor business is at the heart of Samsung’s extraordinary performance. Growing investment in AI data centres has pushed demand for memory chips far beyond available supply, helping drive prices higher.

High-bandwidth memory, or HBM, is particularly important because it is used to handle the enormous volumes of data required by advanced AI systems. Analysts expect the global memory supply shortage to remain a major factor into 2027.

Samsung’s latest projection also places its quarterly operating profit above previous records set by major technology companies. South Korea’s Seoul Economic Daily reported that the 107.4 trillion-won figure surpasses Nvidia’s previous quarterly operating-profit record among global big-tech companies.

NOT EVERY SAMSUNG BUSINESS IS BOOMING

Despite the semiconductor windfall, Samsung’s broader businesses face challenges. Its mobile division has reportedly suffered a larger-than-expected loss, while its contract chipmaking operation remains under pressure.

Investors are also questioning how long the current AI-driven chip boom can continue. Samsung’s shares have faced periods of weakness amid concerns about slowing chip-price growth, currency movements and the sustainability of massive AI infrastructure spending.

For now, however, Samsung’s numbers underline the enormous financial impact of the global AI build-out—and the increasingly important role played by the companies supplying the chips and memory powering it.