Samsung Electronics is preparing one of the largest shareholder return packages in its history, with a plan valued at as much as 110 trillion won (approximately $80 billion) set to be discussed by its board on Friday. The move follows a rebound in the company’s semiconductor business driven by demand for artificial intelligence hardware.
The package is expected to range between 90 trillion won and 110 trillion won, or roughly $65 billion to $80 billion, according to a person familiar with the matter. That total would combine share buybacks with cash dividends over an extended period, reflecting the company’s improving cash position after a difficult stretch for its chip division.
Included in the plan is about 30 trillion won in third-quarter cash dividends, a payout that would reward long-standing investors who held shares through the memory-chip downturn. For retail shareholders in South Korea, where Samsung is the most widely owned stock, the dividend represents a direct return during a period of renewed optimism around AI-related revenue.
The timing comes shortly after rival SK Hynix disclosed its own multibillion-dollar buyback, intensifying competition among Korean chipmakers to attract capital as the AI boom lifts demand for high-bandwidth memory. Both firms have benefited from orders tied to data-center expansion and next-generation processors.
Behind the numbers, the announcement reflects a turnaround from earlier in the cycle. Samsung had reported weaker chip profits and warned of tariff-driven uncertainty, but stronger pricing for memory products and steady AI demand have restored confidence in its earnings outlook. The company has also secured major supply agreements with U.S. customers in recent months.
Shareholder returns of this scale would place Samsung among the most generous large-cap technology firms globally in terms of capital distribution. The board meeting scheduled for Friday will finalize the structure and timing of the buybacks and dividend commitments before any formal disclosure.
The plan builds on a broader effort by Samsung to reassure investors following volatility in its share price and questions about its competitiveness in advanced chipmaking. Executives have faced pressure to demonstrate that the recovery in the semiconductor unit will translate into sustained returns.
Samsung is expected to detail the package once board approval is secured, alongside guidance on how the buybacks will be executed across coming quarters. The company’s next steps will center on converting AI-driven demand into consistent earnings that support the promised distributions.