Samsung generated roughly $38 billion in operating profit in the first quarter of 2026, driven by higher memory prices and heavy orders from AI data center customers. Tens of thousands of Samsung Electronics workers held a rally at the company's Pyeongtaek campus in South Korea to signal they are prepared to walk off the job for an 18-day strike next month. Rival SK Hynix is reportedly preparing to pay average bonuses of around $400,000 to roughly 35,000 employees, creating pressure on Samsung to match compensation. Data centers are expected to consume around 70% of high-end memory chips this year, leaving a limited supply for other sectors.