Popular Twitter user ‘explains’ how Sam Altman’s OpenAI may have caused the worst consumer hardware crisis with purchase orders that were never real

A recent X (formerly Twitter) post has claimed that Sam Altman-led OpenAI may have played a key role in a sharp rise in global memory prices, sparking debate online. Sharing the post, user @aakashgupta wrote: “OpenAI may have caused the worst consumer hardware crisis in a decade with purchase orders that were never real.” In the post, Gupta alleged that non-binding agreements signed by OpenAI for large volumes of DRAM chips led markets to react as if real orders had been placed. While the claims have not been officially confirmed, it comes at a time when memory prices have seen sharp fluctuations and the AI industry continues to drive demand for high-performance hardware.

In the post, Gupta says that OpenAI signed letters of intent with Samsung and SK Hynix for 900,000 DRAM wafers per month that he claims accounted for “ 40% of global supply”.