Samsung
Samsung is a South Korean multinational conglomerate headquartered in Suwon, South Korea, and one of the world's largest producers of consumer and industrial electronics. Founded on March 1, 1938 by Lee Byung-Chull as a grocery trading store in Daegu[^c1], the company grew under the chaebol system to become Korea's largest business group. Samsung entered the electronics industry in 1969, initially producing black-and-white televisions, and later expanded into semiconductors, mobile phones, displays, and home appliances.
In the twenty-first century, Samsung became the world's largest manufacturer of smartphones, smart TVs, and memory chips[^c2]. In fiscal year 2024, the company reported annual revenue of KRW 300.9 trillion and reclaimed the top position in the global semiconductor market with $66.5 billion in sales[^c3][^c4]. In 2025, revenue rose to KRW 333.6 trillion, an all-time high, as the AI-driven semiconductor boom accelerated[^c9]. The first quarter of 2026 set new records: operating profit surged 756% year-over-year to 57.23 trillion won on revenue of 133.87 trillion won, nearly matching the company's all-time annual record in a single quarter[^c10][^c12]. The semiconductor division contributed 94% of total profit, reflecting the overwhelming dominance of memory and HBM sales in Samsung's earnings.
In 2026, Samsung formalized its AI growth strategy around three pillars — semiconductors, devices, and robotics — positioning itself as a comprehensive AI solutions provider[^c5]. The company shipped the world's first HBM4E memory samples in May 2026 and captured approximately 30% of Nvidia's HBM4 orders, breaking SK Hynix's exclusive supply position[^c6][^c13]. Samsung and [[SK hynix]] jointly invested as strategic infrastructure partners in Anthropic's $65 billion Series H funding round, which valued the AI company at $965 billion[^c7][^c11]. Samsung expanded into compound semiconductors, readying its first 8-inch gallium nitride production line and a silicon carbide foundry line[^c14].
At the same time, Samsung initiated a sweeping restructuring of its consumer businesses. In May 2026, the company announced its withdrawal from the mainland China home appliance market after 34 years, retaining only its semiconductor and smartphone operations in the country[^c8]. The company also restructured its global appliance operations, discontinuing low-margin product lines, closing factories in Malaysia and Slovakia, and pivoting toward premium AI-powered appliances and B2B solutions. The restructuring was accompanied by a historic labor agreement in May 2026 that averted an 18-day strike, removing bonus caps for semiconductor workers while deepening internal divisions between the chip and finished-goods divisions.
The company has faced significant legal and labor challenges, including a landmark patent war with Apple, the bribery conviction of heir [[Samsung Corporate Leadership|Lee Jae-yong]], child labor allegations in its supply chain, and escalating union disputes. Its semiconductor division has struggled in the AI chip market against rival SK hynix, and its [[Samsung Foundry|foundry business]] has contended with persistent yield problems in advanced process nodes, though recent 2nm product shipments and foundry profitability in Q4 2025 have shown improvement.