'Current customers will not forget this,' he wrote on X

Tesla CEO Elon Musk. [AP/Yonhap]
Tesla CEO Elon Musk. [AP/Yonhap]

Tesla CEO Elon Musk publicly criticized the pricing policies of memory chip makers — with the notable exception of Micron.

Musk wrote on X Wednesday (Korean Standard Time) that "Micron has been consistently reasonable about future memory prices, but others have been extortionate," directing his frustration at memory chip suppliers.

The remarks appear to target Samsung Electronics and SK hynix, as the two Korean chipmakers and Micron together dominate the global DRAM and high-bandwidth memory (HBM) markets — both critical to AI server infrastructure.

He went on to say that "current customers will not forget this," adding that Micron "is making the smart choice to secure long-term customer loyalty."

The comments came as Musk replied to a post summarizing a memory chip market outlook published by global investment bank JPMorgan.

JPMorgan projected that the memory chip supply shortage rate would reach about 20 percent this year, 19 percent in 2027 and 15 percent in 2028. The bank also forecast that the HBM market, where demand has surged on the back of AI industry expansion, would grow more than fourfold — from about $64 billion this year to $280 billion in 2028.

JPMorgan said Micron had secured 26 long-term supply agreements and committed more than 75 percent of its fiscal year 2027 output under supply contracts.

As the supply shortage shows no sign of easing, customers have rushed to lock in future memory supplies through long-term contracts with manufacturers. That trend has strengthened chipmakers' pricing power in negotiations, though whether it will last remains an open question.

Musk's remarks amount to an endorsement of Micron's pricing approach and a warning aimed at Samsung Electronics and SK hynix.


jshan@heraldcorp.com