Tim Culpan
@tculpan.bsky.social
Founder, Culpium.
Award-winning Technology Columnist and Independent Journalist. Taipei, Taiwan.
sign up here: www.culpium.com/subscribe
Award-winning Technology Columnist and Independent Journalist. Taipei, Taiwan.
sign up here: www.culpium.com/subscribe
It costs AI players around $50bn to build each gigawatt of AI capacity, TSMC CEO CC Wei said Thursday. Wei declined to say how much of that flows to TSMC.
October 16, 2025 at 7:03 AM
It costs AI players around $50bn to build each gigawatt of AI capacity, TSMC CEO CC Wei said Thursday. Wei declined to say how much of that flows to TSMC.
The state of AI explained in one image.
October 7, 2025 at 12:14 AM
The state of AI explained in one image.
Reposted by Tim Culpan
I remember when Molycorp went down and look at where that got us. Bottom line is private capital alone is not up to this. The contrarian distressed guy in me wants to take the other side of this conga line of clowns who did one heavily staged managed trip to China and gave up. #EnergySky
September 21, 2025 at 6:25 PM
I remember when Molycorp went down and look at where that got us. Bottom line is private capital alone is not up to this. The contrarian distressed guy in me wants to take the other side of this conga line of clowns who did one heavily staged managed trip to China and gave up. #EnergySky
TSMC just posted revenue & operating profit which beat guidance.
What's impressive is that gross margin came in near top of guidance, despite a strengthening Taiwan dollar. (1% stronger TWD = 0.4% weaker gross margin).
GM was hit by about 280bps due to forex, management told investors Thursday.
What's impressive is that gross margin came in near top of guidance, despite a strengthening Taiwan dollar. (1% stronger TWD = 0.4% weaker gross margin).
GM was hit by about 280bps due to forex, management told investors Thursday.
July 17, 2025 at 6:20 AM
TSMC just posted revenue & operating profit which beat guidance.
What's impressive is that gross margin came in near top of guidance, despite a strengthening Taiwan dollar. (1% stronger TWD = 0.4% weaker gross margin).
GM was hit by about 280bps due to forex, management told investors Thursday.
What's impressive is that gross margin came in near top of guidance, despite a strengthening Taiwan dollar. (1% stronger TWD = 0.4% weaker gross margin).
GM was hit by about 280bps due to forex, management told investors Thursday.
Reposted by Tim Culpan
✅ @tculpan.bsky.social has been verified by @bsky.app.
July 1, 2025 at 3:25 PM
✅ @tculpan.bsky.social has been verified by @bsky.app.
Note to Donald Trump
It really doesn’t take much.
Just sayin’
Start Your Own Smartphone Company for $1,000
By @tculpan (10 years ago)
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
It really doesn’t take much.
Just sayin’
Start Your Own Smartphone Company for $1,000
By @tculpan (10 years ago)
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Start Your Own Smartphone Company for $1,000
Walk through a metal gate, sidestep a pile of boxes, take an elevator to a floor of serviced offices and enter the latest battleground for Samsung Electronics Co.
www.bloomberg.com
June 17, 2025 at 6:14 AM
Note to Donald Trump
It really doesn’t take much.
Just sayin’
Start Your Own Smartphone Company for $1,000
By @tculpan (10 years ago)
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
It really doesn’t take much.
Just sayin’
Start Your Own Smartphone Company for $1,000
By @tculpan (10 years ago)
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Just in:
Taiwan was just hit by a big quake.
This alert, sent by phone, arrived 30-45sec before the tremor hit northern Taiwan.
Our alert system really worked.
Taiwan was just hit by a big quake.
This alert, sent by phone, arrived 30-45sec before the tremor hit northern Taiwan.
Our alert system really worked.
June 11, 2025 at 11:17 AM
Just in:
Taiwan was just hit by a big quake.
This alert, sent by phone, arrived 30-45sec before the tremor hit northern Taiwan.
Our alert system really worked.
Taiwan was just hit by a big quake.
This alert, sent by phone, arrived 30-45sec before the tremor hit northern Taiwan.
Our alert system really worked.
Never forget that there’s “nothing to remember” about this day
June 4, 2025 at 8:01 AM
Never forget that there’s “nothing to remember” about this day
You should not be surprised when TSMC trims its full-year sector forecast this Thursday at its 1Q earnings event.
culpium.com
culpium.com
April 15, 2025 at 6:39 AM
You should not be surprised when TSMC trims its full-year sector forecast this Thursday at its 1Q earnings event.
culpium.com
culpium.com
Reposted by Tim Culpan
My schadenfreude for the day is that Bitcoin's down basically as much as the NASDAQ, and if Bitcoin did what its fans said it did it would be the opposite.
April 3, 2025 at 1:51 PM
My schadenfreude for the day is that Bitcoin's down basically as much as the NASDAQ, and if Bitcoin did what its fans said it did it would be the opposite.
Reposted by Tim Culpan
#WARNING: @cpsc.gov warns consumers to immediately stop using INSE Cordless Stick Vacuums models S6P Pro and S6T due to fire and burn hazards; risk of serious injury and death; sold on amazon.com.
Full warning: cpsc.gov/Warnings/202...
Full warning: cpsc.gov/Warnings/202...
April 3, 2025 at 2:52 PM
#WARNING: @cpsc.gov warns consumers to immediately stop using INSE Cordless Stick Vacuums models S6P Pro and S6T due to fire and burn hazards; risk of serious injury and death; sold on amazon.com.
Full warning: cpsc.gov/Warnings/202...
Full warning: cpsc.gov/Warnings/202...
Trump’s new income tax policy:
How much you spent / How much your earned
See! Policy is easy.
How much you spent / How much your earned
See! Policy is easy.
April 3, 2025 at 9:58 AM
Trump’s new income tax policy:
How much you spent / How much your earned
See! Policy is easy.
How much you spent / How much your earned
See! Policy is easy.
Thomas Friedman saw only what Beijing wanted him to see.
It wasn’t the future.
It wasn’t the future.
April 3, 2025 at 6:43 AM
Thomas Friedman saw only what Beijing wanted him to see.
It wasn’t the future.
It wasn’t the future.
Reposted by Tim Culpan
When apparent agents of the state do not identify themselves and do not declare the authority by which they are acting—“This is the XYZ police and you are under arrest”—they are, by definition, secret police.
Video of the international student at Tufts being arrested by "federal authorities" in Massachusetts has been released and it's terrifying.
They're not even uniformed officers. Just secret police thugs in hoodies and masks.
From WCVB: youtu.be/PuFIs7OkzYY
They're not even uniformed officers. Just secret police thugs in hoodies and masks.
From WCVB: youtu.be/PuFIs7OkzYY
March 27, 2025 at 12:40 AM
When apparent agents of the state do not identify themselves and do not declare the authority by which they are acting—“This is the XYZ police and you are under arrest”—they are, by definition, secret police.
The US-Taiwan semiconductor relationship has changed drastically.
I was surprised by what the data showed me.
The implications for the US are profound
www.culpium.com/p/how-a-tsmc...
I was surprised by what the data showed me.
The implications for the US are profound
www.culpium.com/p/how-a-tsmc...
How a TSMC Tax Would be a FAFO Move for the US
[Opinion] The US could impose a tax on Taiwanese chips. But it would hurt the very companies Trump used to bolster his tech credentials.
www.culpium.com
February 10, 2025 at 1:21 PM
The US-Taiwan semiconductor relationship has changed drastically.
I was surprised by what the data showed me.
The implications for the US are profound
www.culpium.com/p/how-a-tsmc...
I was surprised by what the data showed me.
The implications for the US are profound
www.culpium.com/p/how-a-tsmc...
Reposted by Tim Culpan
"The US doesn’t have the capacity to manufacture anywhere near a similar volume of equivalent devices. It would take months, if not years, to build the factories, spin up the tools, and then go through the qualification process", @tculpan.bsky.social writes.
How a TSMC Tax Would be a FAFO Move for the US
[Opinion] The US could impose a tax on Taiwanese chips. But it would hurt the very companies Trump used to bolster his tech credentials.
open.substack.com
February 7, 2025 at 12:06 AM
"The US doesn’t have the capacity to manufacture anywhere near a similar volume of equivalent devices. It would take months, if not years, to build the factories, spin up the tools, and then go through the qualification process", @tculpan.bsky.social writes.
To a dog,
the carrot & the stick
have opposite roles.
the carrot & the stick
have opposite roles.
February 6, 2025 at 12:14 AM
To a dog,
the carrot & the stick
have opposite roles.
the carrot & the stick
have opposite roles.
February 3, 2025 at 12:49 AM
Taiwan’s KMT vehemently opposes abolishing the death penalty. A matter of principle, which I understand but don’t agree with.
I wonder whether the party vehemently opposes employing it for treason 🙄
newbloommag.net/2025/01/27/r...
I wonder whether the party vehemently opposes employing it for treason 🙄
newbloommag.net/2025/01/27/r...
Veterans Detained Over Paramilitary Plot to Sabotage Government in Wartime | New Bloom Magazine
A former lieutenant general, Kao An-kuo, and five other associates were indicted earlier this month for efforts to form a paramilitary organization that would act to sabotage the Taiwanese government…
newbloommag.net
January 27, 2025 at 9:29 AM
Taiwan’s KMT vehemently opposes abolishing the death penalty. A matter of principle, which I understand but don’t agree with.
I wonder whether the party vehemently opposes employing it for treason 🙄
newbloommag.net/2025/01/27/r...
I wonder whether the party vehemently opposes employing it for treason 🙄
newbloommag.net/2025/01/27/r...
Huh? What?
Getting heaps of LinkedIn connection requests from accounts like this recently.
Microsoft can’t seem to contain the spread.
Getting heaps of LinkedIn connection requests from accounts like this recently.
Microsoft can’t seem to contain the spread.
January 17, 2025 at 12:51 PM
Huh? What?
Getting heaps of LinkedIn connection requests from accounts like this recently.
Microsoft can’t seem to contain the spread.
Getting heaps of LinkedIn connection requests from accounts like this recently.
Microsoft can’t seem to contain the spread.
Hey there.
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Culpium, by Tim Culpan | Substack
Culpium:
noun [U] — a cure for lack of knowledge, understanding or clarity.
*taken by those seeking to improve comprehension of technology, semiconductors, and supply chains especially in Asia.
*See y...
www.culpium.com
January 9, 2025 at 1:17 AM
Hey there.
Did you just lose access to your Big Media newsletter, and now they want your credit card?
Sign up here for something better.
Get a weekly dose of Culpium. Free.
www.culpium.com
Did you just lose access to your Big Media newsletter, and now they want your credit card?
Sign up here for something better.
Get a weekly dose of Culpium. Free.
www.culpium.com
I’ll soon be publishing my last piece for the year.
It’s a surprising take on the most important tech stories of the year.
Definitely on-brand for those who know me, but counterintuitive.
Sign up now to make sure it lands in your inbox
open.substack.com/pub/timculpan
It’s a surprising take on the most important tech stories of the year.
Definitely on-brand for those who know me, but counterintuitive.
Sign up now to make sure it lands in your inbox
open.substack.com/pub/timculpan
Tim Culpan’s Position | Substack
Analysis-based opinion & exclusive news. No fluff or padding.
My beat is technology.
This is what independent journalism looks like. Click to read Tim Culpan’s Position, a Substack publication.
open.substack.com
December 18, 2024 at 12:17 AM
I’ll soon be publishing my last piece for the year.
It’s a surprising take on the most important tech stories of the year.
Definitely on-brand for those who know me, but counterintuitive.
Sign up now to make sure it lands in your inbox
open.substack.com/pub/timculpan
It’s a surprising take on the most important tech stories of the year.
Definitely on-brand for those who know me, but counterintuitive.
Sign up now to make sure it lands in your inbox
open.substack.com/pub/timculpan
China has made great strides in chipmaking equipment.
Yet the gap to self-sufficiency is widening. Here’s why.
open.substack.com/pub/timculpa...
Yet the gap to self-sufficiency is widening. Here’s why.
open.substack.com/pub/timculpa...
China's Chip Self-Sufficiency in One Chart
[Opinion] It's true that the nation has become more adept at making gear which is used to make chips. But this chart puts that development in context
open.substack.com
December 6, 2024 at 7:26 AM
China has made great strides in chipmaking equipment.
Yet the gap to self-sufficiency is widening. Here’s why.
open.substack.com/pub/timculpa...
Yet the gap to self-sufficiency is widening. Here’s why.
open.substack.com/pub/timculpa...