Marvell vs Samsung: Founders, CEOs and History
Marvell was founded in 1995 by Sehat Sutardja, Weili Dai, Pantas Sutardja and is led by Matthew J. Murphy. Samsung was founded in 1969 by Lee Byung-chul and is led by Jun Young-hyun and Roh Tae-moon.
Company facts
Founders
Marvell
Sehat Sutardja
Sehat Sutardja (1961-2024) was born in Indonesia and earned his master's and PhD in electrical engineering and computer science at UC Berkeley.
Weili Dai
Weili Dai was born in Shanghai and studied computer science at UC Berkeley. She co-founded Marvell in 1995 with her husband Sehat Sutardja and his brother Pantas, and led sales, operations and partnerships, later serving as president.
Pantas Sutardja
Pantas Sutardja, Sehat's brother and also a UC Berkeley-trained electrical engineer, co-founded Marvell in 1995 and worked on its core mixed-signal and storage technology, later serving as chief technology officer.
Samsung
Lee Byung-chul
Lee Byung-chul founded Samsung Sanghoe in Daegu in 1938, trading dried fish, produce and noodles.
CEOs and their tenures
Marvell
- Sehat Sutardja1995–2016
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
As co-founder and long-time CEO, he scaled the company from a small startup into a multi-billion dollar semiconductor powerhouse before being ousted by the board in 2016 following an internal accounting probe.
Source - Matthew J. Murphy2016–present
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Became CEO in 2016 after 22 years at Maxim Integrated. Exited mobile and consumer chips, bought Cavium, Inphi and Innovium, sold automotive Ethernet and refocused Marvell on data infrastructure and AI.
Source - Dan Durn2026–present
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
As CFO, he aggressively optimized the company's debt profile and oversaw the financial strategy that heavily repositioned Marvell as a pure-play cloud and AI infrastructure provider.
Source
Samsung
- Jong-Hee Han2022–2025
Vice Chairman and CEO
A longtime TV business leader who helped keep Samsung the top global TV brand. He died suddenly in March 2025 while in office.
Source - Jay Y. Lee2022–present
Executive Chairman
Grandson of the founder and son of Lee Kun-hee. He was convicted in the 2017 bribery case and pardoned in 2022, and became Executive Chairman in October 2022. In 2025 the Supreme Court upheld his acquittal in the separate merger and accounting fraud case.
Source - Jun Young-hyun2024–present
Vice Chairman, Co-Chief Executive Officer, Head of Device Solutions
He implemented a complete overhaul of the semiconductor division's engineering processes, issuing a rare public apology in 2024 for the company's technological delays.
Source - Roh Tae-moon (TM Roh)2025–present
Co-Chief Executive Officer, Head of Device eXperience
As head of the MX (Mobile eXperience) division, he heavily integrated AI features (Galaxy AI) into the S-series flagship phones to combat Apple's dominance in the premium tier.
Source
Timeline: Marvell and Samsung side by side
1938Samsung
Samsung Group begins
Lee Byung-chul founded Samsung as a trading company before later generations expanded the group into electronics and industry.
1969Samsung
Samsung Electronics established
Samsung Electronics Industry Co. Ltd. was established as the group entered electronics manufacturing.
1977Samsung
Korea Semiconductor acquired
Samsung acquired Korea Semiconductor, a key step toward memory and component manufacturing leadership.
1993Samsung
New Management initiative
Lee Kun-hee launched the New Management push to raise quality, design, and global competitiveness.
1995Marvell
Marvell founded
Sehat Sutardja, Weili Dai and Pantas Sutardja found Marvell to build CMOS read-channel chips for hard disk drives.
2000Marvell
Nasdaq IPO
Marvell lists on Nasdaq under the ticker MRVL.
2001Marvell
Galileo Technology acquired
Marvell buys Israeli networking chipmaker Galileo Technology in a stock deal of about $2.7 billion, building its Ethernet switch business.
2006Marvell
Intel XScale business acquired
Marvell buys Intel's communications and application processor (XScale) business for about $600 million, expanding into mobile chips it later exited.
2016Marvell
Matt Murphy becomes CEO
After an audit committee investigation and a settlement with Starboard Value, the founders leave and former Maxim executive Matt Murphy becomes CEO.
2017Samsung
Harman acquisition closes
Samsung completed the Harman acquisition, expanding into connected car systems and premium audio.
2018Marvell
Cavium acquired
Marvell acquires Cavium for about $6 billion, adding OCTEON processors and networking products.
2019Marvell
Aquantia and Avera Semi acquired
Marvell buys Aquantia for about $452 million and GlobalFoundries' Avera Semi custom ASIC unit for $650 million.
2021Marvell
Inphi acquired and move to Delaware
Marvell closes its roughly $10 billion Inphi acquisition, adding optical DSPs, and redomiciles from Bermuda to Delaware as Marvell Technology, Inc.
2021Marvell
Innovium acquired
Marvell acquires Ethernet switch startup Innovium for about $1.1 billion in stock, adding the Teralynx switch family.
2022Samsung
Jong-Hee Han becomes CEO
Jong-Hee Han became CEO of Samsung Electronics Co. in 2022. A longtime TV business leader who helped keep Samsung the top global TV brand.
2024Samsung
Jun Young-hyun becomes CEO
Jun Young-hyun became CEO of Samsung Electronics Co. in 2024. Head of the semiconductor (Device Solutions) division and memory business; sole CEO for part of 2025 after Han Jong-hee's death, then co-CEO with TM Roh from November 2025.
2025Marvell
Automotive Ethernet sold to Infineon
Marvell completes the $2.5 billion sale of its automotive Ethernet business to Infineon, recognizing a pre-tax gain of about $1.8 billion.
2025Samsung
TM Roh joins Young Hyun Jun as co-CEO
Samsung named TM Roh Head of Device eXperience and CEO, joining Young Hyun Jun as co-CEO.
2025Samsung
Annual revenue reaches ~$237B (KRW 333.6T)
Samsung Electronics reported ~$237 billion (KRW 333.6 trillion) in 2025 annual revenue and ~$31 billion (KRW 43.6 trillion) in operating profit.
2025Samsung
Roh Tae-moon (TM Roh) becomes CEO
Roh Tae-moon (TM Roh) became CEO of Samsung Electronics Co. in 2025. Longtime head of the mobile business.
2026Marvell
Celestial AI acquisition closes
On February 2, 2026, Marvell completes its acquisition of photonic interconnect startup Celestial AI, valued at about $3.25 billion upfront in cash and stock.
2026Marvell
Fiscal 2026 revenue of $8.195 billion
Marvell reports fiscal 2026 net revenue of $8.195 billion, up 42%, with Data Center at 74%.
2026Marvell
Nvidia invests $2 billion
On March 31, 2026, Nvidia invests $2 billion in Marvell and the companies partner to connect Marvell silicon to Nvidia systems through NVLink Fusion.
2026Marvell
Dan Durn named CFO
Former Adobe CFO Dan Durn becomes Marvell CFO on June 15, 2026, succeeding Willem Meintjes.
2026Marvell
Record Q2 fiscal 2027 revenue
Marvell reports record quarterly revenue of $2.739 billion, up 37% year over year, and raises its fiscal 2027 and 2028 outlook.
Acquisitions
Marvell
- Celestial AI2026$3.3B
- Inphi Corporation2021$10B
- Innovium2021$1.1B
- Cavium2018$6B
Samsung
- FlaktGroup2025$1.7B
- Xealth2025Undisclosed
- Harman International2017$8B
- SmartThings2014$200M
Questions about Marvell vs Samsung
Who is the CEO of Marvell Technology, Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.?
Marvell Technology, Inc. is led by Matthew J. Murphy and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is led by Jun Young-hyun and Roh Tae-moon. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Marvell Technology, Inc. founded vs Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.?
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. was founded in 1969 — 26 years before Marvell Technology, Inc., which was founded in 1995. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Marvell Technology, Inc..
How many employees does Marvell Technology, Inc. have compared to Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.?
Marvell Technology, Inc. employs approximately 7,400 people, while Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. employs approximately 259,149. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. has the larger workforce at 259,149 employees, compared to Marvell Technology, Inc.'s 7,400. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Marvell Technology, Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. headquartered?
Marvell Technology, Inc. is headquartered in United States and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is headquartered in South Korea. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Marvell Technology, Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.?
Marvell Technology, Inc. was founded by Sehat Sutardja, Weili Dai, Pantas Sutardja. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. was founded by Lee Byung-chul.
Which company has a longer operating history — Marvell Technology, Inc. or Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.?
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. has been operating for approximately 57 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Marvell Technology, Inc. has been in operation for around 31 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
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 Marvell vs Samsung overview