Trending Now - SK Hynix Becomes Latest Chipmaker to Join $1 Trillion Club

WHO:

Al Jazeera - SK Hynix, the world’s second-largest memory chipmaker.

CNN - Samsung Electronics, Micron, Nvidia, TSMC, and Anthropic.

WHAT:

Al Jazeera - SK Hynix has reached a market capitalisation of 1.66 quadrillion won ($1.10 trillion).

Al Jazeera - SK Hynix’s share price has increased by 240 percent since the start of the year and more than 80 percent this month.

Al Jazeera - SK Hynix’s operating profit surged fivefold year-on-year in the first three months of the year, reaching 37.6 trillion won ($24.9 billion).

Al Jazeera - Revenue for SK Hynix was 52.6 trillion won ($34.8 billion), up threefold on a yearly basis.

CNN - Samsung and Micron also reached the $1 trillion milestone earlier in the same month.

CNN - Workers at SK Hynix could receive bonuses of up to $900,000 this year, while Samsung employees could receive bonuses of up to $400,000.

WHERE:

Al Jazeera - South Korea.

CNN - South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI index.

WHEN:

Al Jazeera - The milestone for SK Hynix was achieved this week.

CNN - The bonuses for SK Hynix and Samsung employees are part of a new agreement reached after protests and threats of strikes that occurred over 18 days this month.

WHY:

Al Jazeera - The demand for semiconductors used in AI has driven SK Hynix's market valuation.

CNN - The global AI boom has increased demand for memory storage, leading to a shortage of semiconductors.

HOW:

Al Jazeera - Investors have rushed to capitalize on record-shattering revenues generated by the AI boom.

CNN - The rise in memory chip demand is attributed to the rush to develop cutting-edge artificial intelligence tools and infrastructure.

(UPDATED May 29, 2026 12:03 UTC)

SK Hynix, the world’s second-largest memory chipmaker, has reached a remarkable market capitalization of 1.66 quadrillion won, or about $1.10 trillion, thanks to a surge in demand for semiconductors driven by the global AI boom. This week, the company reported an impressive operating profit that surged fivefold year-on-year, reaching 37.6 trillion won, while its share price has skyrocketed by 240 percent since the start of the year. As a result of this success, workers at SK Hynix could receive bonuses of up to $900,000 this year, reflecting the significant impact of the AI-driven demand for memory storage.