Samsung employees are set to receive a substantial bonus of around £300,000 ($400,000) each due to the recent surge in AI technology. This bonus, equivalent to 10.5% of semiconductor operating profits, will be primarily distributed in stocks among the 78,000 chip workers as part of a profit-sharing agreement reached after a five-month dispute between the Korean tech giant and the labor union. The deal was approved by 74% of the 62,616 workers who participated in the vote, averting a potential 18-day strike that could have disrupted global chip supplies.
Individual bonus amounts will vary based on job roles, with an average of 513 million won (£250,000) per worker, as reported by Bloomberg. Alternatively, estimates from Yonhap News suggest payouts could reach 600 million won (£300,000), nearly quadruple the average salary of a Samsung employee in 2025. Notably, the bonuses will exclude subcontractors and employees in the consumer electronics division responsible for Samsung smartphones and laptops.
Samsung’s market value recently surpassed $1 trillion (£740 billion) as investors continued to support AI-related stocks. The company’s latest financial results revealed a significant surge in operating profit to 57.2 trillion won (£28.4 billion) and record revenue of 133.9 trillion won (£66.5 billion). Similarly, chipmakers SK Hynix and Micron also achieved market valuations exceeding $1 trillion this week, with SK Hynix committing to allocate 10% of operating profits for the next decade.
Among other tech giants valued over $1 trillion are Nvidia, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Google’s Alphabet, and Meta. Recent analysis highlighted that technology and AI firms could earn up to £194,000 from each UK internet user over their lifetime by leveraging personal data. Companies like Samsung monetize personal data to drive internet services, as revealed in a study by Web3 Foundation examining various digital footprints left by individuals, from search activities to online purchases and social media interactions.
Bill Laboon, Vice President of Technical Operations at Web3 Foundation, emphasized the importance of understanding data usage and monetization by various entities, underscoring the privacy implications associated with personal data utilization in digital interactions.