Investors in Asia's tech giants, Samsung, SK Hynix, and TSMC, have seen a surge in investor activity, making Seoul's stock market the world's hottest and delivering bonuses of half a million dollars to workers at one Korean chipmaker. Investors big and small are buying the story that Asian chipmakers and suppliers already make a significant sum from AI, in contrast to Silicon Valley names whose heavy spending on chips and technology makes them riskier bets. Major investors are buying multi-year agreements with customers, suggesting the AI cycle is likely to continue longer than many had expected. The region is home to highly advanced tech hubs that have become indispensable to the global AI buildout. Samsung's first-quarter profit increased eightfold, with chips responsible for 94% of the record 57.2 trillion won total, and its stock price more than doubled this year.