Western Digital and SanDisk Separate Into Independent Companies (Again)

Western Digital (WD) and SanDisk are slated to separate into two independent companies shortly. The plan was announced as far back as 2023 but has been delayed, stretching out the process until 2025.

WD announced it planned to split its HDD and flash memory businesses on October 30, 2023, which would create two independent, public companies. Last March, WD said it was “on track” to spin off the Flash memory business from the core WD business sometime in the second half of 2024. That didn’t happen, likely because the separation is what WD describes as “complex.”

Support for both businesses has divorced and WD moved all of its support for flash memory products — including its WD Black SSDs as well as HGST and G-Technology SSDs — to SanDisk’s website last November.

“The company’s separation will better position each franchise to execute innovative technology and product development, capitalize on unique growth opportunities, extend respective market leadership positions, and operate more efficiently with distinct capital structures. The creation of two specialized websites is a necessary step in the company separation process,” Western Digital says.

The two companies will be wholly separate and have different leadership teams. Western Digital’s current CEO David Goeckeler will become SanDisk’s new CEO while the current Executive Vice President, Global Operations at Western Digital Irving Tan will step into the CEO position at the HDD-focused company.

SanDisk’s return to the New York Stock Exchange saw its when-issued stock valued at $36. “When-issued” refers to a share or stock that has official permission to be bought and sold but is not yet available for sale, although it is possible that unofficial trading could have started.

At the time of publication, the split of the two companies is not final and Goeckeler still publicly shows himself as CEO of WD. Tan also still shows himself as WD’s Executive Vice President.

Western Digital acquired SanDisk back in 2015 for $16 billion. Just shy of 10 years later, that marriage is coming to an end. The creation of SanDisk’s new logo — and official naming changed to Sandisk — was created in anticipation of the spin-off. When SanDisk’s website and branding are shifted to that new logo, that is likely a sign that the spin-off has been completed.

SanDisk’s reputation among photographers and filmmakers has soured in recent years due in large part to its refusal to respond or take ownership of widespread failure of its portable SSD products. These SanDisk SSDs carried a major design flaw that caused them to suddenly and without warning stop working. SanDisk never publicly addressed the fiasco and, despite the known issue, continued to sell these SSDs at a discount to unsuspecting buyers. As a result, PetaPixel does not recommend photographers purchase any SanDisk products.

Neither SanDisk nor Western Digital have responded to PetaPixel‘s request for comment for the past two years.