SK Hynix overtakes Samsung in annual profit for the first time as AI reshapes rivalry

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SK Hynix beat rival Samsung Electronics in operating profit for the first time in 2025, as it retained its lead in high-bandwidth memory used in artificial intelligence chips.

The two South Korean memory makers went head-to-head this week, with SK Hynix reporting earnings on Wednesday and Samsung on Thursday morning local time.

SK Hynix posted a record operating profit of 47.2 trillion won for the full year, surpassing Samsung’s 43.6 trillion won. The comparison underscores SK Hynix’s ascension in South Korea’s tech space since it was acquired by SK Telecom for about $3 billion in 2012.

SK Hynix focuses almost entirely on memory chips, while Samsung operates across multiple businesses, including consumer electronics and contract chip manufacturing. Samsung’s memory segment generated operating profits of about 24.9 trillion won in 2025.