As DDR5 RAM prices surged, Samsung employees allegedly took bribes from desperate customers

Whenever a component becomes scarce, some individuals take advantage of the crisis. However, in this case, it may be Samsung employees who are exploiting the memory shortage. DigiTimes has revealed that suppliers in Taiwan reportedly took kickbacks from distributors. The company launched an investigation, resulting in a shakeup of its marketing and sales divisions.

With DRAM stockpiles low, Samsung and other major manufacturers are prioritizing AI data centers. As enterprise-level demand skyrockets, DDR5 prices are at record highs. Some analysts don’t anticipate lower costs until 2028 or later. As a result, any party that can acquire the memory stands to make enormous profits.

It’s unknown what price the distributors were willing to pay their Samsung contacts, or the amount of the potential bribes. Even so, when buying in bulk, the potential for gains was likely substantial.

Not surprisingly, Samsung has hesitated to comment on the report. Still, DigiTimes believes the chip giant has recently interviewed multiple employees based in Taiwan. It’s suspected that even “senior management level” workers broke internal policy. The controversy may also extend beyond Taiwan, including dealings in Singapore and China.

Memory makers have alienated consumers

Consumers now have even more reason to distrust memory manufacturers. With other companies like Micron eliminating their Crucial brand, buyers feel abandoned. The rising prices aren’t limited to DRAM; storage costs are also inflating. Samsung denied a rumor that it would cease producing SSDs, which would have exacerbated the problem.

The entire hardware industry is under threat, as buyers pay a premium for critical components. Even so, not all companies have such a gloomy perspective on the future of PC building. A Sapphire PR representative believes that DDR5 prices could improve within six months, also benefiting the VRAM used by GPUs. Until then, distributors will look for any means to acquire and resell the memory at staggering prices.