eBay vs Samsung: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
eBay reported $11.1B of revenue in FY2025 and $2B of net income. Samsung reported ~$236.9B of revenue in FY2025 and ~$31.4B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
Financial summary
eBay
eBay is an asset-light marketplace. Unlike Amazon it owns no large warehouses or delivery fleet; it connects buyers and sellers and charges the seller a Final Value Fee, a percentage of each sale. That gives it high profit margins and strong free cash flow, which fund share buybacks and a dividend. In FY2025 it reported $11.100B in revenue and $2.031B in net income, with 135M active buyers.
Samsung
Samsung's earnings follow the memory cycle. Revenue fell from ~$215 billion (KRW 302.2 trillion) in 2022 to ~$184 billion (KRW 258.9 trillion) in 2023 during a chip downturn, then recovered to ~$214 billion (KRW 300.9 trillion) in 2024 and ~$237 billion (KRW 333.6 trillion) in 2025, when net income reached about $31.5 billion (KRW 44.3 trillion). In 2026, AI server demand created a memory shortage. Q1 operating profit of ~$40.6 billion (KRW 57.2 trillion) exceeded the full-year 2025 total, and Q2 reached ~$63.5 billion (KRW 89.5 trillion) on ~$122 billion (KRW 171.5 trillion) revenue. Higher memory costs also squeezed Samsung's own devices: the MX and Networks unit lost ~$497 million (KRW 0.7 trillion) in Q2 2026 on ~$23.6 billion (KRW 33.2 trillion) revenue.
Revenue and profit by year
eBay
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $11.1B | $2B | 18.3% | +7.9% | Source |
| FY2024 | $10.3B | — | 0.0% | +1.7% | Source |
| FY2023 | $10.1B | $2.8B | 27.4% | +3.2% | Source |
| FY2022 | $9.8B | -$1.3B | -13.0% | -6.0% | Source |
| FY2021 | $10.4B | $13.6B | 130.6% | — | Source |
Samsung
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | ~$236.9B | ~$31.4B | 13.3% | +10.9% | Source |
| FY2024 | ~$213.6B | ~$23.9B | 11.2% | +16.2% | Source |
| FY2023 | ~$183.8B | ~$10.3B | 5.6% | -14.3% | Source |
| FY2022 | ~$214.6B | ~$38.9B | 18.1% | +8.1% | Source |
| FY2021 | ~$198.5B | ~$27.9B | 14.0% | — | Source |
Where the revenue comes from
eBay
- Marketplace Transaction Fees
Primary revenue stream
Final value fees and related transaction revenue tied to seller activity and gross merchandise volume.
- Advertising and Promoted Listings
High-margin growth stream
Seller-funded ad products that increase listing visibility and monetize buyer intent.
- Payments, Shipping, Stores, and Upgrades
Marketplace services
Managed payments, shipping services, store subscriptions, listing upgrades, and seller tools.
Samsung
- Memory semiconductors
- Foundry and system LSI
- Galaxy smartphones and mobile devices
- Display panels
- TVs and appliances
- Network equipment
- Harman automotive and audio
Business model and strategy
eBay
How it makes money
eBay operates a large C2C (Consumer-to-Consumer) and B2C (Business-to-Consumer) online marketplace model. They do not own any inventory. The core model relies entirely on 'Take Rates'. If you sell a vintage watch for $1,000 on eBay, eBay takes roughly a 10-15% commission, plus processing fees. Over the last decade, they have aggressively pivoted away from their original 'Auction' format;
Growth strategy
eBay's growth strategy centres on what it calls focus categories and on trust. It was losing sneaker and watch sales to specialist startups because buyers feared counterfeits. It responded with Authenticity Guarantee: experts at eBay facilities inspect expensive watches, sneakers and trading cards before they are shipped to the buyer.
Competitive advantage
eBay's advantage is its inventory of unique and refurbished items and the network of sellers behind it. Shoppers go to Amazon for standard new goods and to eBay for things like a specific 1968 Mustang part, a graded Pokemon card or a refurbished iPhone.
Samsung
How it makes money
Samsung earns money from two groups of businesses. Device Solutions (DS) makes and sells memory (DRAM, HBM, NAND), System LSI chips such as Exynos processors and ISOCELL image sensors, and contract foundry manufacturing.
Growth strategy
Samsung's growth plan centers on AI memory: ramping HBM4 for Nvidia and AMD accelerators, developing HBM4E, and adding DRAM capacity at Pyeongtaek. In foundry it is pursuing 2nm gate-all-around production and building its Taylor, Texas fab to win customers from TSMC. On the device side it relies on Galaxy AI features, foldables and premium TVs to defend share against Apple and Chinese brands.
Competitive advantage
Samsung's edge is manufacturing scale and breadth. It is the largest memory producer and one of only three major DRAM makers, alongside SK hynix and Micron. That lets it capture pricing upswings like the 2026 AI-driven shortage.
Questions about eBay vs Samsung
Which company has higher revenue — eBay Inc. or Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.?
eBay Inc. reported $11.1B (FY2025), while Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. reported ~$236.9B (FY2025). By last reported revenue, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is the larger business, with eBay Inc. reporting a smaller revenue base.
What is the market cap of eBay Inc. vs Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.?
eBay Inc.'s market capitalisation stands at $48.0B, while Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.'s is $1.33T. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to eBay Inc..
Which is more financially efficient — eBay Inc. or Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.?
eBay Inc. generates $902k / employee in revenue per employee, while Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. generates $914k / employee. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. shows higher revenue efficiency per headcount, though this reflects business model differences — capital-light software companies routinely outperform labour-intensive manufacturers on this metric.
How do eBay Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. make money?
eBay Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. eBay Inc.: eBay operates a large C2C (Consumer-to-Consumer) and B2C (Business-to-Consumer) online marketplace model. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.: Samsung earns money from two groups of businesses.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — eBay Inc. or Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, eBay Inc. trades at 4.3x P/S and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. at 5.6x P/S. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to eBay Inc.. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is eBay Inc. bigger than Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.?
By last reported revenue, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (~$236.9B (FY2025)) is the larger company compared to eBay Inc. ($11.1B (FY2025)). Revenue scale is one dimension of size — market capitalisation, employee count, and geographic reach are also relevant depending on the context.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the eBay vs Samsung overview