Evening Scan

Samsung and SK Hynix dropped a combined $141 billion in domestic manufacturing commitments today — on the same day OpenAI floated giving the U.S. government an equity stake. The pre-holiday session was quieter on earnings and louder on geopolitics than anyone expected.

$141B — Combined capital commitments from Samsung and SK Hynix announced today, both targeting the same AI infrastructure wave, both landing in South Korea within hours of each other.

Samsung Details $90B Plan for South Korea's Chungcheong Region (paywall)

Battery, chip, and OLED production — Samsung is planting its flag at home while the global fab race intensifies. (Bloomberg)

SK Hynix Will Spend $51B on a New NAND Factory to Catch the AI Memory Wave

A second massive Korean commitment in a single day, aimed at a 2029 production target — the AI memory crunch shows no signs of easing. (The Next Web)

Sources: OpenAI Has Discussed Giving a 5% Stake to the US Government (paywall)

Regulatory clearance has a price tag, apparently — OpenAI is reportedly offering the Trump administration an equity stake to smooth its nonprofit-to-PBC conversion. (Financial Times)

Google Loses EU Court Fight Over €4.1B Android Fine (paywall)

The European Court of Justice let the penalty stand, closing one of the longer-running antitrust sagas in Big Tech history. (Bloomberg)