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Why Apple, Nvidia and AMD use TSMC to make their chips : The Indicator from Planet Money One Taiwanese company, TSMC, makes 90% of the most advanced semiconductors — the chips for your phone or car. From Hong Kong to Boston to Texas to Taipei: This is TSMC founder Morris Chang's story.

The Indicator from Planet Money

The semiconductor founding father

The semiconductor founding father

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Chairman of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), Morris Chang, speaks during a quarterly investors results conference in Taipei on October 25, 2012. TSMC, the world's top contract microchip maker, said on October 25 net profit in the third quarter surged 62.2 percent over a year ago to 1.68 billion USD. AFP PHOTO / Mandy CHENG (Photo credit should read Mandy Cheng/AFP via Getty Images)
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Mandy Cheng /AFP via Getty Images
Chairman of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), Morris Chang, speaks during a quarterly investors results conference in Taipei on October 25, 2012. TSMC, the world's top contract microchip maker, said on October 25 net profit in the third quarter surged 62.2 percent over a year ago to 1.68 billion USD. AFP PHOTO / Mandy CHENG (Photo credit should read Mandy Cheng/AFP via Getty Images)
Mandy Cheng /AFP via Getty Images

When Morris Chang founded the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company over 30 years ago, the company was entering uncharted waters for Taiwan.

For decades, the top semiconductor manufacturers were based in America because that's where semiconductor chips were invented. But, by suggesting that TSMC manufacture chips for its competition instead of itself, Morris flipped the entire industry on its head.

Today on the show, how Morris Chang revolutionized the chip industry and led TSMC to become the most important semiconductor company in the world.

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