Samsung's AI memory surge poised to overtake NVIDIA in profits

Samsung could soon become the world's most profitable company, overtaking even NVIDIA, the primary beneficiary of the artificial intelligence boom. According to analysts, the rapid surge in memory prices is positioning the South Korean firm as a key player in the new technology economy.

Samsung's financial performance already shows impressive momentum. Preliminary forecasts suggest its operating profit for the first quarter of 2026 could approach $42 billion, representing growth of over 700% compared to the previous year. Notably, the company earned more in a single quarter than it did throughout all of 2025.

The semiconductor memory market remains the core growth driver. Demand for DRAM and, especially, high-speed memory for AI systems continues to rise, pushing prices upward. Experts believe the current cycle is only at its midpoint, meaning there is still significant potential for further profit increases.

The most optimistic projections indicate Samsung could earn around $221 billion in 2026 and up to $330 billion in 2027. This potentially exceeds NVIDIA's expected profits for the same period, paving the way for Samsung to claim the title of the world's most profitable corporation.

Interestingly, Samsung's market capitalization remains significantly lower than NVIDIA's. However, in the AI gold rush, it's the manufacturers of essential components like memory that are reaping the greatest rewards, effectively selling the tools to all market participants.