Samsung to return record up to $79B to shareholders as AI chip profits surge

Samsung Electronics is preparing to deliver the largest shareholder payout in its history, with plans to return between 90 trillion and 110 trillion won, roughly $65 billion to $79 billion, to investors in 2026. The windfall is powered by the same force reshaping every corner of the tech industry: artificial intelligence.

The world’s largest memory chip manufacturer has been riding a wave of unprecedented demand for AI-related semiconductors, particularly high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips. Those profits are now flowing directly back to the people who own the company.

How the numbers break down

Samsung’s shareholder return framework operates under a policy covering 2024 through 2026, which mandates that 50% of the company’s free cash flow gets allocated to investors. The company maintains a fixed annual dividend of 9.8 trillion won, paid out on a regular schedule regardless of performance.

For context on how dramatically the payout has grown: during 2024 and 2025 combined, Samsung distributed 20.9 trillion won through dividends and buybacks. The 2026 figure alone could represent roughly four to five times that two-year total, depending on where the final number lands within the 90-110 trillion won range.

Samsung’s shares and global depositary receipts jumped approximately 5.9% on news of the return plan. A board meeting is scheduled for around August 21, 2026, where the specifics will be formally discussed and approved.

Spending big on both sides of the ledger

Earlier in March 2026, Samsung announced investments exceeding 110 trillion won, approximately $80 billion, earmarked for AI chip technology, including facilities and research and development. That means the company is essentially writing two checks of comparable size in the same year: one to shareholders, one to its own innovation pipeline.

Samsung’s Korean rival SK Hynix, which has arguably been the bigger beneficiary of the HBM boom thanks to its earlier positioning with Nvidia, has been enhancing its own shareholder return programs.

The August board meeting will determine where the final number falls within the projected range.

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