High open-source inference margins imply a need for much more compute supply, supporting chipmakers and at least 2027 consensus estimates. DeepSeek is earning roughly 90% gross margins with ten-month GPU paybacks. Those returns look too high for a competitive, low-switching-cost product; more supply should increase competition and move pricing toward returns near the cost of capital, though margins need not fall. Labs face the demand question today; the supply chain probably faces it from 2028. x.com x.com x.comÂ

