Nvidia’s leading RAM supplier makes a splash with a trillion-dollar market debut.

The surge in AI technology is driving a significant demand for RAM, and SK Hynix, a leading memory chip supplier, made a splash on Wall Street recently. The South Korean company debuted at $170 per share, raising an impressive $26.5 billion, setting a new record for the largest debut of a foreign firm.

In May, SK Hynix reached a $1 trillion valuation, briefly surpassing Samsung to become South Korea’s most valuable company. It stands as one of three major players benefiting from the rising need for DRAM and high-bandwidth memory (HBM). These components are crucial for the rapid expansion of AI data centers, as tech giants like OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google rely on DRAM for their AI model servers, while HBM is integral to high-end AI chips such as Nvidia’s Blackwell Ultra.

As of June 2026, SK Hynix holds 29 percent of the global DRAM market, with Samsung at 38 percent and Micron at 22 percent, according to Counterpoint data. Despite their dominance, these companies are struggling to meet the soaring memory demand, prioritizing lucrative AI clients over manufacturers needing chips for devices like phones, computers, and consoles. SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won indicated in June that the company aims to increase its memory chip production capacity over the next five years to tackle a shortage that could persist until 2030.