>> as if Samsung didn't receive government subsidies when it was developing
That's because Samsung didn't get gov't subsidies when they developed DRAM in the early 80's. Semiconductors weren't really among the targeted industries by the South Korean gov't and were largely ignored as the govt prioritized HCI (Heavy Chemical Industry), shipbuilding, steel, and automobiles. The gov't didn't understand the potential of semiconductors and viewed the growing industry as risky investment.
Unlike China or Taiwan, the South Korea's semiconductor industry was very much organic, started by a private company, Korea Semiconductor, in the mid 70's which was later acquired by Samsung and became Samsung Semiconductors Inc. And they bled millions of their own money until their own DRAM came out in the early 80's.
The gov't still believed the industry was too risky and costly even after Samsung's development of 64K and 256K DRAM in 1983 and 1984. Samsung burnt through their own cash stockpile cross-financed by other divisions, or borrowed from foreign banks and financial institutions. There was really no major support until 1986 when ETRI, a gov't sponsored research institution, stepped in to promote cooperation among domestic semiconductor players -- ie, so Samsung could teach and help bring up other chaebols LG and Hyundai up to speed.
So PLEASE no more insane whataboutism to defend China's neo-mercantile practices or illegal state subsidies.
I've heard that Samsung's business practices can be quite predatory. Basically if you have cool tech and you try to sell it to Samsung, you'll often get a few meetings and then they will go silent and then what you were trying to sell them will be offered by them as a new product about a year later. At least this was the situation like a decade ago.
I think this is because they are a huge conglomerate and there are divisions and groups that specialize in everything and their (Samsung) culture is to do everything as much as possible in house.
> you'll often get a few meetings and then they will go silent and then what you were trying to sell them will be offered by them as a new product about a year later
This is how business works anywhere. there are no charities. whatever you say to investors or suppliers they can use so you better be careful have lawyers and set up correctly.
(The caveat is of course when Chinese companies do this your lawyers can do nothing while in a developed country you can have some recourse)
But even if Samsung was super predatory business wise it is beside the point. if they both get subsidies and de facto are close to their governments then you have to look at what their governments do. If you like what CCP is doing, it's your choice
So try to sell your high tech product to literal charity next and see what they offer. As you can imagine after this thought experiment, we're not talking about literal charities.
If you want to make money don't be surprised they also want to make money. If it is financially better to build it themselves they will, or they will tell their friends. Pro tip: don't tell them enough.
Just like in China if they can take your product and slap their own label and sell it at 50% discount they will.
How many countries has China bombed in, say, the last year, and how does that compare to the other superpower (and the washed out has-been superpower) in the room?
It's difficult to comprehend the gall and hypocrisy requires to kvetch about this when there are four carrier strike groups sitting in the Gulf right now.