[News] Samsung Chairman Reportedly Meets Musk, Granting Tesla CEO Dedicated Workspace at Taylor Fab

Samsung Electronics has rapidly strengthened its partnership with Tesla after securing the automaker as a major foundry customer. According to South Korea’s JoongAng Ilbo, citing sources, Samsung Chairman Lee Jae-yong met with Tesla CEO Elon Musk while visiting Samsung’s Taylor, Texas fab during his U.S. trip.

As the report notes, Samsung’s Taylor fab—constructed with an investment of more than KRW 50 trillion—is close to beginning operations, with the meeting strengthening its partnership with Tesla, now one of its largest foundry customers. The two companies are said to have conducted in-depth discussions on production lines, focusing on yield stabilization and future technology collaboration.

Hands-On Collaboration at the Taylor Fab

Citing sources, the report notes that Musk was granted a dedicated workspace inside Samsung’s Taylor fab, effectively allowing Tesla to maintain an on-site presence to oversee chip manufacturing. The move highlights a collaboration that extends beyond a conventional customer–supplier arrangement.

Industry experts cited by the report say the development marks an experimental shift in the foundry industry, with customers taking part across the entire process, from chip design and fab construction to production-line layout and packaging, thereby accelerating feedback cycles. The report also notes that Tesla’s Austin headquarters is located just 45 minutes from Samsung’s Taylor facility.

Samsung Prepares to Close the Gap with TSMC

Notably, the report says industry observers expect Samsung’s foundry business to intensify its push against TSMC from mid-next year, once the Taylor plant is fully completed.

The report adds that Samsung’s foundry business could raise utilization at its U.S. manufacturing base through its partnership with Tesla, while also improving its standing in the U.S. market, potentially paving the way to win additional major customers such as NVIDIA and AMD.

Samsung has also stepped up hiring in the U.S. to strengthen foundry yield solutions. According to SEdaily, citing sources, Samsung Device Solutions’ Americas division (DSA) is recruiting experienced talent for Customer Engineering (CE) roles, which focus on resolving technical issues and optimizing processes just before chips move into mass production. The hiring suggests Tesla is entering the final stages of preparation for mass production of key products, including the AI5. Industry sources estimate Samsung’s 2nm process yield has currently risen to around 55–60%, the report adds.

Read more

• [News] Tesla AI5 Production Split Between Samsung, TSMC; Musk Cites Samsung’s “Advanced Equipment”
• [News] Samsung Reportedly Speeds Up U.S. Hiring as Tesla Prepares for AI5 Production

(Photo credit: Samsung)