Samsung's memory division chief expects the RAM shortage to run until 2028 before it peaks. That is the single hardest figure in the story. It comes from the executive who runs the world's largest memory business, not from an analyst note.

The prediction matters because Samsung sets the tone for the whole DRAM market. The company supplies a large share of global memory output. When its own memory chief talks about a shortage lasting into 2028, buyers should plan on tight supply for years.

What does this change for buyers?

It changes procurement timelines. A shortage that peaks in 2028 means no quick relief in 2025 or 2026. Device makers, data center operators and PC builders now face a longer window of constrained supply and firm pricing. The practical question is simple: how long do contracts need to run to lock in volume?

An executive forecast of this kind is not a guarantee. Supply cycles have turned quickly before. But the statement carries weight because Samsung controls capacity decisions that shape the entire market.

Why the date matters

Memory shortages typically move in cycles. Producers add capacity, prices fall, then demand outruns supply again. A 2028 peak implies the current squeeze has several years left to run.

That is a long horizon for an industry that usually plans one or two years out. It suggests demand — likely from AI workloads and data center buildouts — continues to outpace fabrication capacity.

Who said it and where

The forecast comes from Samsung's memory chief, reported by Startup Fortune. It is a first-party statement from inside the largest supplier, which distinguishes it from third-party analyst projections that often range wider.

Suppliers rarely flag multi-year shortages unless they see structural limits on their own output. When they do, buyers listen.

What to watch next

• Whether Samsung announces new fabrication capacity or delays it.
• Whether rival memory makers echo the 2028 timeline.
• Whether contract prices for DRAM keep climbing through the next quarters.

Each signal will confirm or undercut the executive's timeline.

For now, the operative fact stands: Samsung's own memory chief says the RAM shortage will not peak until 2028, and everyone buying memory between now and then has to plan around that.