Micron’s CEO, Sitting on a Mountain of Cash, Warns That RAM Shortages Will Keep Getting Worse and Last Through at Least 2028

Micron Says RAM Supply May Stay Tight Through 2027 and 2028

Background: A concentrated memory market comes under AI pressure

The RAM market is shaped by a small number of major suppliers: Micron, Samsung, and SK Hynix. These three firms are accused in a US lawsuit of worsening the current memory crisis through price fixing. The lawsuit sits against a broader supply shift. Companies are directing attention to filling AI datacentre orders, which severely constricts the type of RAM consumers need.

Development: Micron reports sold-out output and higher prices ahead

During an earnings call about Micron’s results for the 2026 financial year, CEO Sanjay Mehrotra confirmed that Micron had already sold most of the memory it will make next year, as reported by The Register. Mehrotra added that people buying RAM next year will pay “much higher prices” than people buying this year.

The company’s view of the market extended beyond the 2026 financial year. “In calendar 2027 as well as 2028, we see demand exceeding supply,” Mehrotra said. “In fact, we see greater tightness in the industry in 2027 and in 2028 versus 2026. Overall, supply-demand environment is only getting tighter. We do not have line of sight to when supply and demand will return to balance.”

Latest: AI demand, lawsuit pressure, and an unresolved supply question

The report says Micron will continue selling to both AI firms and consumers, while the type of RAM consumers need is severely constricted by companies turning their attention to filling AI datacentre orders. The report also states that none of Micron, Samsung, and SK Hynix have moved to take advantage of the industry’s push toward providing for AI datacentre orders.

For consumers, the practical result is less supply and higher cost. The US lawsuit keeps pricing conduct under scrutiny, while the market outlook described by Micron points to continued imbalance rather than a quick return to normal conditions.

Current stage: Tightness is expected to continue

The timeline points to a memory market still in a supply-short phase. Micron’s statement that most of next year’s output is already sold, combined with its expectation of greater tightness in calendar 2027 and calendar 2028 than in 2026, indicates the RAM crisis is not resolving quickly. For readers, the implication is straightforward: RAM may remain harder to buy and more expensive while AI demand, supplier capacity, and the US lawsuit continue to interact.