On July 3, 2026, the Seoul Economic Daily cited industry insiders and market sources stating that Meta is in talks with Samsung Foundry to find new production partners for its next-generation ASIC or custom AI chips, with this potential large order described as "approximately or exceeding 100 trillion won." The figure is astonishing, yet it remains at the level of "rumor": neither Meta nor Samsung has issued any formal announcements, confirmed contracts, or capacity planning, and even the approximate timeline and technical specifications are missing, which forces the market to amplify imagination while acknowledging the uncertainties involved. Even so, once this news is placed back within the context of Meta's existing self-developed AI chip strategy and TSMC's long-standing foundry background, it immediately becomes a lever—the potentially upcoming 100 trillion won order is not just about negotiating better conditions with TSMC for Meta, but is also substantially pushing Samsung to the forefront of the AI chip foundry game, rewriting the balance of power between Meta, TSMC, and Samsung.
Rumor of 100 trillion won: Meta bets on self-developed AI chips
From initially making large purchases of general-purpose GPUs to "buy computing power," to the later introduction of its self-developed AI accelerator product line MTIA, Meta has been quietly rewriting its hardware narrative over the past few years. Public information confirms that at least two generations of MTIA have been launched, both produced by TSMC. In advanced processes and large-scale production, Meta has effectively transitioned from being a "pure buyer" to "partially self-sufficient" by leveraging this leading foundry’s capabilities. It is on this foundation that the potential order described as approximately or exceeding 100 trillion won stands out—it now points not merely to simple GPU purchases but to the next-generation ASIC or custom AI chips defined and led by Meta.
The Seoul Economic Daily quoted industry insiders stating that Meta is collaborating with Samsung Foundry to design and produce this next-generation chip. However, current public information has not provided any details regarding the architecture, performance metrics, or mass production timeline, leaving only a vague and monumental outline of "the level of 100 trillion won." With TSMC still viewed as the existing MTIA foundry partner, and no reliable information indicating a complete rewrite of their relationship, introducing Samsung more reasonably interprets as adding a high-end foundry option: on one hand, as demand for AI computing power reaches its peak, and American tech giants generally adopt parallel self-developed chips alongside third-party GPUs while diversifying across multiple foundries, this diversification can hedge geopolitical and supply chain risks; on the other hand, to support the long-term expansion of its large models and AI infrastructure, Meta must grip the bargaining power over fundamental computing power and supply security more tightly, and this potential cooperation with Samsung is increasingly viewed by the market as a significant move towards achieving this goal.
From TSMC to Samsung? The seating arrangement in AI chip foundry begins to shift
At the high-end AI chip foundry table, TSMC has held the main position for many years. Within advanced processes below 7nm, whether for high-performance computing or AI-related chips, the industry has long established a default premise: to implement the most aggressive processes and the most extensive deployments, TSMC is almost an unavoidable name. Over the past few years, Meta's self-developed AI accelerator strategy has followed this consensus—research briefs confirm that both the first and second generation MTIA chips are produced by TSMC, which is not merely an ordinary customer relationship but a long-term bond placing their AI infrastructure reliance on TSMC’s capacities and yields.
It is precisely for this reason that when on July 3, 2026, the Seoul Economic Daily reported that "Meta is considering cooperating with Samsung Foundry to design and produce the next-generation ASIC or custom AI chip," the market's first reaction was not "Meta is making a new chip," but rather "is TSMC’s seat going to be shifted?" The report refers to this potential order as approximately or exceeding 100 trillion won. For Samsung, it undoubtedly represents a critical window for a breakthrough in AI-related foundry orders: securing it would not only mean competing against TSMC on advanced processes but would also highlight a template client among first-tier internet companies. However, existing information remains at the "considering" stage, with no official confirmations from Meta or Samsung, nor any contracts, timelines, or process specifications disclosed; even the claim that "the third-generation MTIA will be produced by Samsung at 2nm" has been labeled as needing verification by research briefs. More importantly, as of now, there are no reliable signs indicating that Meta has completely terminated its collaboration with TSMC on AI chips, interpreting this potential cooperation with Samsung as a direct "order transfer" or "replacement" is both premature and distorted; it resembles reconfiguration centered around supply chain diversification rather than an already sealed agreement.
Samsung's key bargaining chip for AI foundry authority
For Samsung, this potential order from Meta described by the market as "approximately or exceeding 100 trillion won" aligns with the rhythm Samsung has laid over many years. During the same period, Samsung has stabilized cash flow via its memory business while emphasizing the need to expand its AI and high-performance computing chip customer base within the foundry sector, with the core goal being to narrow the gap with TSMC in advanced processes and high-end orders. If an American internet giant officially lists Samsung for its self-developed AI chips, it would not only mean revenue growth but would serve as a prestigious "template client" whose symbolic significance far exceeds short-term profits: it would provide Samsung with a narrative to present when vying for other AI chip design firms, rather than being merely classified as a "supplementary option."
Therefore, the bargaining chips Samsung brings to the negotiation table will not merely be about pricing, but rather a "combination of authority." Regarding the technical route, the market speculation that "the third-generation MTIA might be produced by Samsung using 2nm technology," although yet to be officially confirmed, reveals the core of the discussions—Meta is concerned about whether it can directly integrate Samsung's advanced process for the next-generation self-developed chip, while Samsung aims to use this opportunity to demonstrate that it is more than a follower at the forefront of technology. For Meta, large American tech companies have generally sought to mitigate geopolitical and capacity risks by utilizing multiple foundries, and Samsung can offer new advanced process capacities of a certain scale alongside TSMC, packaging its dual capabilities in storage and foundry into a more complete AI hardware supply solution. As for how this potential large order will settle regarding specific delivery cycles, production line configurations, and pricing structures, the outside world remains in the dark, but it is certain that once the cooperation takes shape, its leverage in Samsung's AI foundry landscape goes far beyond merely one order.
A letter of foundry intent stirring the AI chip supply chain game
When viewed from a broader perspective, the "intent card" that Meta has put forth essentially represents a tripartite calculation by American tech giants within the AI chip supply chain: computing power scale must continue to rise, total costs must be driven down, and geopolitical and capacity risks must be dismantled and hedged. In recent years, leading American tech companies have reached a consensus: while self-developing AI chips, they procure large quantities from third-party GPUs, including Nvidia, creating a mix of "self-developed + procurement" to achieve greater computing power. The foundry side mirrors this logic—having positioned a second, or even multiple foundry partners beyond TSMC has become a standard risk management tactic across a growing number of major firms.
In this industry context, if Meta indeed delegates part of the next-generation self-developed AI chip production to Samsung, this potential order described by the market as approximately or exceeding 100 trillion won will no longer be just a commercial transaction between two companies, but will be viewed as a hallmark sample under the trend of supply chain diversification. On one end, Meta pulls Samsung into the advanced process, gaining additional bargaining power over process routes, capacity prioritization, and foundry pricing, while the unit cost of AI computing power and supply flexibility have opportunities to be redefined; on the other end, Samsung leverages this type of client to propel itself from a "follower" to the forefront of AI foundry, also compelling other tech giants to accelerate their self-developed chip and multiple foundries strategy, shifting from "competing for GPUs" to simultaneously placing more bets on ASICs and custom chips beyond GPU procurement. Although the current research briefs still categorize the relationship between Meta and Samsung as "potential collaboration," the mere release of this intent is sufficient to prompt global AI chip supply chain participants to recalculate their chips and positions.
What to watch next: official statements and capacity deployment signals
From now until the dust settles, the most worth monitoring will be the "black and white" documentation from both companies. As of July 3, 2026, neither Meta nor Samsung has issued any press releases or regulatory documents regarding this AI chip foundry deal, and the research briefs also emphasize the lack of a cooperation timeline, specific technical metrics, and payment conditions, which means the transaction remains at a highly opaque, even early game stage. Moving forward, an official announcement mentioning "next-generation MTIA" or "custom AI accelerators," along with corresponding 8-K/regulatory documents, would mark the transition from market rumors to a verifiable contract stage. Secondly, the details in financial reports and guidance: if Meta begins to incorporate foundry partners in its statements regarding capital expenditures, AI infrastructure, and investments in self-developed chips, or if it provides a medium to long-term spending rhythm matching the scale of 100 trillion won, it will serve as an important reference for both scale and rhythm; for Samsung, if it highlights AI orders from "North American cloud/internet giants" separately in its foundry business outlook, it will similarly be used by the market to align expectations.
The third clue lies in technological and developer conferences. In the future, if Meta officially announces the next-generation MTIA roadmap at technical conferences, developer conferences, or financial reports, clarifying which foundry will handle production, particularly whether it mentions the transition from utilizing TSMC for the first two generations to incorporating Samsung will directly indicate the direction of this potential order. Likewise, if Samsung’s foundry technology launch includes examples like "custom accelerators designed for large-scale AI clients" linked with advanced 2nm processes, along with the aforementioned financial and regulatory signals, a clearer picture of today's intent report will begin to emerge. Until all of this is settled, maintaining a necessary distance from single media reports, treating them as scenarios needing verification through subsequent facts rather than confirmed orders, is a fundamental respect for risks and uncertainties. What can be confirmed is that even if this order's final scale differs from the rumors or even falls through, the competitive landscape of AI chip foundry has already transitioned from a single leading player to a new phase of long-term games among several manufacturers around capacity, process nodes, and customer structures.
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