It's been a couple of days since Elon Musk revealed that Tesla had inked a $16.5 billion deal with Samsung to manufacture its next-generation AI chip on the company's new fabrication facility in Texas.

Responding to criticism on X that Samsung may have effectively bit off more than it can chew, the Tesla CEO gave his full support to Samsung, while also revealing that this deal was a result of direct talks with Samsung Electronics Chairman Jay Y. Lee and top executives.

Musk was responding to a user on X who claimed that Samsung “has no idea what they signed up for,” saying that “They do.” He further added that “I had a video call with the chairman of Samsung and their senior execs to discuss exactly what the partnership will entail. We’re going to leverage both companies’ strengths to achieve something truly great.”

Samsung foundry's struggle to attract clients on the cutting-edge nodes are well documented. TSMC continues to take the majority of orders, while Samsung foundry is having to eat up the cost of its investment in the new facilities and loses billions of dollars every year.

As other users questioned Musk on Samsung's ability to reliably deliver chips on the 2nm process in comparison to TSMC, Musk said that “Both TSMC and Samsung are great companies,” and that “It is an honor to work with them.”

This deal could go a long way in helping Samsung attract more clients for its advanced nodes, potentially enabling the foundry division to turn things around. It also underscores the importance Jay Y. Lee holds, and with his legal troubles now behind him, Samsung is now better placed to strike the big deals needed for the growth it seeks.