SK Hynix vs Texas Instruments: Founders, CEOs and History
SK Hynix was founded in 1983 by Chung Ju-yung and is led by Kwak Noh-jung. Texas Instruments was founded in 1951 by Patrick E. Haggerty, Cecil H. Green, J. Erik Jonsson and is led by Haviv Ilan.
Company facts
SK Hynix
- Founded
- 1983
- Headquarters
- Icheon, South Korea
- Current CEO
- Kwak Noh-jung
- Employees
- 46,863
Texas Instruments
- Founded
- 1951
- Headquarters
- Dallas, Texas, United States
- Current CEO
- Haviv Ilan
- Employees
- 33,000
Founders
SK Hynix
Chung Ju-yung
Chung Ju-yung (1915-2001) founded Hyundai Electronics in 1983 as part of his massive industrial conglomerate. He pushed the company aggressively into the highly capital-intensive semiconductor business.
Texas Instruments
Patrick E. Haggerty
Patrick Haggerty led GSI's move into electronics and pushed Texas Instruments into transistors in the early 1950s, including licensing transistor technology from Western Electric and backing the 1954 Regency TR-1 transistor radio.
Cecil H. Green
Cecil H. Green served as a director of Texas Instruments from its founding until his retirement from active corporate involvement in the 1970s and made essential contributions to the company's financial management and international expansion.
J. Erik Jonsson
J. Erik Jonsson (1901-1995) was a co-founder of Texas Instruments. In 1930, he joined GSI, an oil exploration firm, and later orchestrated the buyout of the company alongside Cecil Green and Eugene McDermott on the eve of WWII.
Eugene McDermott
Eugene McDermott (1899-1973) co-founded Geophysical Service Inc. (the predecessor to Texas Instruments) in 1930. He pioneered the use of reflection seismology to discover oil reserves.
CEOs and their tenures
SK Hynix
- Chey Tae-won2012–present
Chairman, SK Group
His aggressive capital injection transformed the struggling chipmaker into SK Hynix, securing the resources needed to eventually dominate the global High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) market.
Source - Lee Seok-hee2018–2022
Former Chief Executive Officer
As CEO, he navigated brutal US-China semiconductor trade restrictions while maintaining massive capital expenditures in next-generation DRAM facilities.
Source - Kwak Noh-jung2022–present
President and Chief Executive Officer
Kwak joined Hyundai Electronics in 1994 and became CEO in March 2022. He led the company through the 2023 downturn, the HBM3E and HBM4 ramps, FY2025 revenue of ~$69B (KRW 97.15T), and the July 2026 Nasdaq ADR listing.
Source
Texas Instruments
- Jerry R. Junkins1985–1996
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer
He died suddenly in May 1996 while on a business trip in Germany, and Tom Engibous succeeded him.
Source - Thomas J. Engibous1996–2004
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer
He led the 2000 purchase of Burr-Brown. Rich Templeton succeeded him as chief executive in 2004.
Source - Rich Templeton2004–2023
President and Chief Executive Officer
During his nearly 20 years as CEO, he transformed TI into a massive free-cash-flow generating machine, aggressively expanding its 300mm wafer manufacturing footprint in the US.
Source - Haviv Ilan2023–present
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer
Haviv Ilan succeeded Rich Templeton as president and CEO on April 1, 2023, and later added the chairman role. He has overseen the start of production at Sherman SM1 in December 2025, the 2025-2026 revenue recovery and the 2026 agreement to buy Silicon Labs.
Source
Timeline: SK Hynix and Texas Instruments side by side
1951Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments Incorporated Founded
Texas Instruments Incorporated was formally established as an independent entity in 1951 by Cecil H. Green, J. Erik Jonsson, Eugene McDermott, and Patrick E. Haggerty, growing out of the electronics manufacturing operations of Geophysics Service Incorporated.
1952Texas Instruments
Western Electric Transistor License Acquired
TI acquired a license from Western ElectricAT&T's manufacturing subsidiaryto produce transistors based on Bell Laboratories' technology for a fee of 25,000 dollars.
1954Texas Instruments
First Commercial Silicon Transistor
TI engineer Gordon Teal announced the world's first commercial silicon transistor at the Institute of Radio Engineers convention, shocking competitors who had not believed silicon transistors were manufacturable at commercial volumes.
1958Texas Instruments
Jack Kilby Invents the Integrated Circuit
On September 12, 1958, TI engineer Jack Kilby demonstrated the world's first working integrated circuit, a small piece of germanium containing a transistor, capacitor, and resistors connected by metal wire on a single substrate.
1972Texas Instruments
First Handheld Electronic Calculator
TI introduced the Datamath, the world's first commercial handheld electronic calculator powered by a single integrated circuit chip that TI designed and manufactured.
1978Texas Instruments
TMS9900: World's First Single-Chip 16-Bit Microprocessor
TI introduced the TMS9900, the world's first commercially available single-chip 16-bit microprocessor.
1983SK Hynix
Hyundai Electronics Founded
Hyundai Group establishes Hyundai Electronics in Icheon, South Korea, entering the semiconductor memory market with DRAM manufacturing capabilities.
1983Texas Instruments
Exit from Home Computer Market
Texas Instruments announced the discontinuation of the TI-99/4A home computer following losses estimated at approximately 660 million dollars from its consumer PC business.
1992SK Hynix
First 64Mb DRAM Chip
Hyundai Electronics becomes one of the first companies globally to develop a 64Mb DRAM chip, establishing its position as a high-quality memory manufacturer.
1996Texas Instruments
Digital Light Processing Technology Commercial Launch
TI commercially launched Digital Light Processing technology based on the Digital Micromirror Device chip invented by engineer Larry Hornbeck in 1987.
1999SK Hynix
Merger With LG Semicon
Hyundai Electronics merged with LG Semicon in 1999.
2001SK Hynix
Renamed Hynix Semiconductor
Following Hyundai Group's financial restructuring, the semiconductor unit is renamed Hynix Semiconductor and undergoes creditor-led turnaround.
2011Texas Instruments
National Semiconductor Acquisition for 6.5 Billion Dollars
TI completed the acquisition of National Semiconductor Corporation for approximately 6.5 billion dollars in cash, adding National's extensive analog product portfolioparticularly in power management and audio amplifiersto TI's catalog.
2012SK Hynix
SK Group Acquisition
SK Group acquires a controlling stake in Hynix Semiconductor for approximately $3.4 billion, renaming it SK Hynix Inc. and integrating it into the SK conglomerate.
2013Texas Instruments
Exit from Mobile Application Processor Business
Texas Instruments formally exited the mobile application processor market, discontinuing development of its OMAP processor line that had powered smartphones and tablets from Nokia, Motorola, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.
2018SK Hynix
Stake in Toshiba Memory
SK Hynix joined the Bain Capital consortium that bought Toshiba Memory, now Kioxia, in 2018.
2020SK Hynix
Intel NAND Business Acquisition
SK Hynix announces acquisition of Intel's NAND flash memory and SSD business for $9 billion, significantly expanding its NAND market share.
2021Texas Instruments
CHIPS Act Manufacturing Expansion Announcement
TI announced plans to construct new 300-millimeter semiconductor fabrication facilities in Sherman, Texas, and to expand its Lehi, Utah facility acquired from Micron Technology.
2022SK Hynix
Kwak Noh-jung becomes CEO
Kwak Noh-jung became CEO of SK Hynix in 2022. Kwak joined Hyundai Electronics in 1994 and became CEO in March 2022.
2023SK Hynix
HBM3 Mass Production for NVIDIA
SK Hynix becomes the first company to mass-produce HBM3 high-bandwidth memory, securing NVIDIA as a primary customer for AI accelerator applications.
2023Texas Instruments
Haviv Ilan Becomes CEO
Haviv Ilan assumed the role of President and Chief Executive Officer of Texas Instruments, succeeding Rich Templeton who had served as CEO since 2004.
2024SK Hynix
FY2024 Memory-Cycle Recovery
SK hynix reported ~$47B (KRW 66.19T) of FY2024 revenue as HBM demand and DRAM price recovery returned it to a ~$14.1B (KRW 19.79T) net profit after the 2023 loss.
2026SK Hynix
SK hynix posts record FY2025 and Q1 2026 AI-memory results
SK hynix reported FY2025 revenue of ~$69B (KRW 97.1467T) and followed with Q1 2026 revenue of ~$37.3B (KRW 52.5763T) as AI memory demand accelerated.
2026SK Hynix
Nasdaq ADR listing and record Q2
SK hynix listed ADRs on Nasdaq on July 10, 2026, then reported record Q2 revenue of ~$56.3B (KRW 79.32T) and a 76% operating margin.
Acquisitions
SK Hynix
- Key Foundry2022Undisclosed
- Intel NAND and Solidigm2020$9B
- LG Semiconductor1999Undisclosed
Texas Instruments
- Silicon Laboratories (Silicon Labs)2026$7.5B
- Micron Technology Lehi, Utah Facility2021$900M
- National Semiconductor Corporation2011$6.5B
- Burr-Brown Corporation2000$7.6B
- Unitrode Corporation1999$1.2B
Questions about SK Hynix vs Texas Instruments
Who is the CEO of SK Hynix Inc. and Texas Instruments Inc.?
SK Hynix Inc. is led by Kwak Noh-jung and Texas Instruments Inc. is led by Haviv Ilan. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was SK Hynix Inc. founded vs Texas Instruments Inc.?
Texas Instruments Inc. was founded in 1951 — 32 years before SK Hynix Inc., which was founded in 1983. Texas Instruments Inc.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger SK Hynix Inc..
How many employees does SK Hynix Inc. have compared to Texas Instruments Inc.?
SK Hynix Inc. employs approximately 46,863 people, while Texas Instruments Inc. employs approximately 33,000. SK Hynix Inc. has the larger workforce at 46,863 employees, compared to Texas Instruments Inc.'s 33,000. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are SK Hynix Inc. and Texas Instruments Inc. headquartered?
SK Hynix Inc. is headquartered in South Korea and Texas Instruments Inc. is headquartered in United States. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded SK Hynix Inc. and Texas Instruments Inc.?
SK Hynix Inc. was founded by Chung Ju-yung. Texas Instruments Inc. was founded by Patrick E. Haggerty, Cecil H. Green, J. Erik Jonsson, Eugene McDermott.
Which company has a longer operating history — SK Hynix Inc. or Texas Instruments Inc.?
Texas Instruments Inc. has been operating for approximately 75 years, making it the more established of the two companies. SK Hynix Inc. has been in operation for around 43 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 SK Hynix vs Texas Instruments overview