Do we like them?

Do we like Micron?

Makes DRAM and NAND memory chips (Crucial brand); based in Boise, Idaho, USA

Our score: 6 out of 10. A key chipmaker with a mostly clean record and big US jobs, but mixed on the environment, with a few geopolitical clashes. We'd back it with some caution.

Micron is the Idaho-based memory chipmaker behind the Crucial brand. Sanjay Mehrotra, who co-founded SanDisk, has run it since May 2017 and became chairman in January 2025, per profile sites. He was named to the 2026 TIME100 AI list.

The big drama has been with China. Beijing barred critical-infrastructure operators from buying Micron chips in 2023. Yangtze Memory sued Micron over alleged patent infringement. Micron also reportedly settled its trade-secrets case with Fujian Jinhua while trying to mend ties with Beijing.

Now the focus is a planned $100 billion fab complex in Clay, New York. A coalition of labour, environmental and community groups wants legally enforceable commitments on workers and the environment. One source says the site would draw about 48 million gallons of water a day from Lake Ontario.

Micron says it aims for 100% water conservation through recycling and restoration, and has been a partner in Boise's advanced water treatment pilot. Overall we'd give it a decent, not glowing, score: useful products and jobs, with real environmental questions still open.