Samsung plans up to $80 billion shareholder payout after AI chip profit surge

Samsung Electronics plans to return up to 110 trillion won, or about $79 billion to $80 billion, to shareholders this year, in what would be the largest payout of its kind in South Korea. The company said the program includes about 30 trillion won in third-quarter cash dividends and a roughly 15 trillion won share buyback for employee compensation, with the rest to be decided later. The move follows a surge in profits linked to strong demand for AI chips, underscoring how the artificial-intelligence boom is boosting returns for major memory-chip makers and rewarding investors.