Samsung vs Volkswagen: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
Samsung reported ~$236.9B of revenue in FY2025 and ~$31.4B of net income. Volkswagen reported ~$363.8B of revenue in FY2025 and ~$7.5B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
Samsung
- Latest revenue
- ~$236.9B (FY2025)
- Net income
- ~$31.4B
- Net margin
- 13.3%
- Revenue growth
- +4.5% a year, FY2021–FY2025
Volkswagen
- Latest revenue
- ~$363.8B (FY2025)
- Net income
- ~$7.5B
- Net margin
- 2.1%
- Revenue growth
- +6.5% a year, FY2021–FY2025
Financial summary
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.
Volkswagen
Volkswagen Group reported ~$364 billion (EUR 321.9 billion) in 2025 sales revenue, slightly below ~$367 billion (EUR 324.7 billion) in 2024, and an operating result of ~$10.1 billion (EUR 8.9 billion), a 2.8% margin. Earnings were held down by U.S. tariffs, restructuring provisions, the cost of Porsche's product strategy change, and weaker results from the Chinese joint ventures. Deliveries were broadly stable at 8.984 million vehicles. The December 2024 agreement with IG Metall for the Volkswagen brand in Germany avoids compulsory redundancies but plans to cut more than 35,000 jobs by 2030 through attrition and early retirement, and to reduce German plant capacity. In the first half of 2026 sales revenue was about $179 billion (EUR 158.1 billion), roughly flat, while the operating result fell 11.6% to about $6.67 billion (EUR 5.9 billion) (3.8% margin). In September 2026 Volkswagen cut its full-year forecast to about $356 billion (EUR 315 billion) in sales revenue and an operating margin of up to 1%, citing China, a faster shift to EVs, a roughly $6.78 billion (EUR 6 billion) goodwill impairment on the Porsche segment, and extra restructuring and China impairments.
Revenue and profit by year
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 |
Volkswagen
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | ~$363.8B | ~$7.5B | 2.1% | -0.8% | Source |
| FY2024 | ~$366.9B | ~$12.1B | 3.3% | +0.7% | Source |
| FY2023 | ~$364.2B | ~$18B | 4.9% | +15.5% | Source |
| FY2022 | ~$315.3B | ~$16.8B | 5.3% | +11.5% | Source |
| FY2021 | ~$282.7B | ~$16.8B | 5.9% | — | Source |
Where the revenue comes from
Samsung
- Memory semiconductors
- Foundry and system LSI
- Galaxy smartphones and mobile devices
- Display panels
- TVs and appliances
- Network equipment
- Harman automotive and audio
Volkswagen
- Passenger vehicle sales
- Premium and luxury vehicle sales
- Commercial vehicles
- Parts and aftersales
- Financial services
- Leasing and fleet services
- Software and mobility services
Business model and strategy
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.
Volkswagen
How it makes money
Volkswagen earns most of its revenue by selling new cars, vans, trucks and buses through brand groups: Core (Volkswagen, Skoda, SEAT/CUPRA, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles), Progressive (Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini, Ducati), Sport Luxury (Porsche) and TRATON (Scania, MAN, International, Volkswagen Truck & Bus).
Growth strategy
Volkswagen's growth strategy centers on cost reduction, platform simplification, brand accountability, premium profitability, China-specific EV development, battery and software investment, hybrid and combustion optimization where demand remains strong, and selective partnerships such as Rivian and XPeng.
Competitive advantage
Volkswagen's advantage is industrial scale plus brand breadth. Few competitors can cover entry-level European cars, global volume SUVs, Audi premium vehicles, Porsche sports cars, Lamborghini supercars, Bentley luxury cars, Ducati motorcycles, Scania and MAN trucks, and a major financial services arm. The purchasing leverage and installed dealer base are hard to replicate.
Questions about Samsung vs Volkswagen
Which company has higher revenue — Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. or Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft?
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. reported ~$236.9B (FY2025), while Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft reported ~$363.8B (FY2025). By last reported revenue, Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft is the larger business, with Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. reporting a smaller revenue base.
What is the market cap of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. vs Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft?
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.'s market capitalisation stands at $1.33T, while Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft's is $35.5B. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft.
Which is more financially efficient — Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. or Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft?
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. generates $914k / employee in revenue per employee, while Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft generates $549k / 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 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft make money?
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.: Samsung earns money from two groups of businesses. Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft: Volkswagen earns most of its revenue by selling new cars, vans, trucks and buses through brand groups: Core (Volkswagen, Skoda, SEAT/CUPRA, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles), Progressive (Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini, Ducati), Sport Luxury (Porsche) and TRATON (Scania, MAN, International, Volkswagen Truck & Bus).
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. or Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. trades at 5.6x P/S and Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft at 0.1x P/S. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. bigger than Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft?
By last reported revenue, Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft (~$363.8B (FY2025)) is the larger company compared to Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (~$236.9B (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 Samsung vs Volkswagen overview