Western Digital’s Flash Gamble Pays Off: SanDisk’s Legacy, WDC’s 2025 Resurgence, and the AI Storage Boom
Western Digital acquired SanDisk for $15.8 billion in 2016, gaining a major position in flash memory as HDD demand fell. WDC’s stock swung sharply in the years after, rising above $90 in 2018 during a flash shortage, then plunging below $50 amid oversupply. In 2022–2023, NAND prices collapsed, but rebounded sharply by late 2023. By 2025, Western Digital’s stock had doubled, fueled by renewed demand and the AI boom.