Samsung’s chip workers are jumping ship to rival SK Hynix
MIT Technology Review AI Michelle Kim
Samsung's chip engineers are defecting to rival SK Hynix in large numbers, driven by SK Hynix's $476,000 annual bonus—roughly $135,000 to $340,000 more than Samsung's foundry division workers receive. SK Hynix doubled down on high-bandwidth memory chips for AI while Samsung downsized its HBM team in 2019, and the subsequent AI boom made SK Hynix the global HBM market leader. Samsung's loss of foundry expertise threatens its advantage in next-generation HBM manufacturing, as SK Hynix now recruits the engineers needed to reduce its reliance on Taiwan's TSMC.
Why it matters
Lee, an engineer at Samsung’s semiconductor division, clocks out when his shift ends. He used to work longer hours, going the extra mile to excel at his projects. But lately, he’s been coming straight home to work on his job application for the chipmaker’s South Korean rival SK Hynix, sharing tips with his coworkers on…
