Samsung Invests Nearly $60 Billion in Semiconductors, Tops Global Rankings

Samsung led the global semiconductor investment rankings with nearly $60 billion. The investment covers both research and development (R&D) and capital expenditures (CAPEX). This shows the company’s ambition to advance next-gen semiconductors in the booming AI era.

Samsung makes bold push in the global semiconductor space

According to data from corporate tracker CEO Score, Samsung invested 89.8935 trillion won (nearly $60 billion) in semiconductors in 2025. This includes 37.74 trillion won in research and development spending and 52.15 trillion won in capital expenditures. As such, the Korean firm led the global semiconductor investment rankings.

Samsung’s arch-rival TSMC (in the foundry segment) secured the second spot with an investment of 69.4109 trillion won. This is about 20 trillion won less than the Korean giant’s total spending. Speaking of other major players, Intel came in third place with 40.4499 trillion won, while SK Hynix ranked fourth with 35.045 trillion won.

As you can see, Samsung and SK Hynix invested 124.9385 trillion won (combined) in semiconductors. This shows South Korea’s standing in the global chip space. It is worth mentioning that Samsung maintained aggressive investment even during a downturn.

For example, between 2021 and 2023, Samsung’s operating profit declined from 51.6339 trillion won to 6.567 trillion won due to weak semiconductor market conditions. However, rather than cutting spending, the company continued to expand its chip investment. A semiconductor industry official said this was a strategic move to achieve an early lead in the next-gen semiconductor market.

However, Samsung’s newly introduced performance bonus system may create pressure for long-term investment plans. “Given the nature of the semiconductor industry, which requires continuous investment on an enormous scale, recent debates over distributing tens of trillions of won in bonuses and retained earnings during the current boom cycle could place a significant burden on companies,” said CEO Score.

In November 2025, Samsung announced it would invest 450 trillion won in South Korea over the next five years. Part of this investment was allocated to expand the company’s semiconductor business.