Musk's criticism of Samsung, SK's memory chip pricing runs counter to market logic: expert

Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s latest criticism of Samsung Electronics and SK hynix over their memory chip pricing defies market realities, as any chipmaker that undercuts prevailing prices risks selling out immediately and leaving other customers without supplies, a prominent U.S. chip analyst said. Jim Handy, founder and general director of semiconductor research firm Objective Analysis, challenged Musk's recent description of the Korean chipmakers' prices as “extortionate,” compared with those of their U.S. rival Micron. The chip expert underscored that memory prices are determined by market forces rather than individual suppliers. “Memory makers do not set their parts’ pricing — the market determines the pricing,” Handy said in a written interview with The Korea Times, Sunday. “In that light, it is hard to understand Musk’s comment.” Musk is looking to manufacture chips in-house through his Terafab project, with soaring memory prices an increasingly pressing concern for his ambitions. He posted on X on Tuesday (local time), “Micron has been reasonable regarding future m