A breaking report out of Japan this evening states that Western Digital has won the bidding process to take over a portion of Toshiba Memory. The two companies already work together in a joint venture to produce NAND flash memory, an arrangement that started with Toshiba and SanDisk. Western Digital acquired SanDisk in 2016 and inherited the memory manufacturing partnership.
The news should put an end to the daily speculation coming out of Japan and the U.S. The rumor mill has kept many busy over the last year. Just last week, Reuters reported that WD pulled out of negotiations to buy Toshiba's memory business, in an effort to strengthen its position in the venture. However, the lack of legitimate sources kept us from reporting on many of the swirling rumors.
This report, though, is different from the others. We've noticed that some high-ranking personnel from Toshiba America were called to the company's headquarters in Tokyo, Japan this morning. We reached out for comment but have yet to hear back at this late hour. We may hear an official announcement in the coming days if the original story holds true.
