Samsung SK Hynix AI profits hit $104 billion, sparking a global push for a cut

South Korea’s two biggest chipmakers are making so much money that the numbers barely fit on a balance sheet anymore, and now everyone wants a piece of it. From Washington trade negotiators to retail shareholders and even the companies’ own bonus schemes, the debate over Samsung SK Hynix AI profits has turned record earnings into a political and financial flashpoint.

Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix together posted an operating profit of 150 trillion won, or roughly $104 billion, in the second quarter of 2026 alone. That single-quarter figure hints at just how fast the artificial intelligence memory boom has reshaped the two companies’ fortunes, and it’s why so many stakeholders are now lining up to ask for a share.

Key takeaways

• Samsung and SK Hynix generated a combined operating profit of 150 trillion won (about $104 billion) in Q2 2026.
• SK Hynix is on track to earn more in 2026 than it did in the previous 27 years combined.
• US trade officials, led by Deputy USTR Rick Switzer, proposed a profit-sharing model during June 2026 negotiations.
• Samsung’s retail shareholder group ACT is pushing for a $32 billion buyback, while SK Hynix already runs a 10% uncapped profit-sharing bonus.
• Combined net cash for both firms is projected to hit $263 billion by the end of 2026, even as capital spending rises sharply.

Record Profits Fuel Stakeholder Demands

The scale of the earnings is what’s driving the pressure. When quarterly profit hits $104 billion between two companies, it stops being just a corporate success story and starts becoming a target for redistribution, whether from governments, shareholders, or workers.

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