Lei Jun

Lei Jun
Born	16 12, 1969
Birthplace	Xiantao, Hubei, China
Nationality	Chinese
Occupation	Template:Hlist
Title	Template:Unbulleted list
Known for	Founder and CEO of Xiaomi
Spouse(s)	Zhang Tong
Children	2
Awards	Template:Unbulleted list
Website	[https://weibo.com/leijun Official site]

Lei Jun (Template:Zh; born 16 December 1969) is a Chinese billionaire entrepreneur, computer engineer, and business executive who founded the consumer electronics and smart manufacturing company Xiaomi Corporation in 2010 and has served as its chairman and chief executive officer since its inception. A figure whose career spans more than three decades of China's technology industry, Lei also serves as chairman of Kingsoft, the software company where he spent the formative years of his professional life, and as chairman of Shunwei Capital, a venture capital firm he co-founded. Beyond his corporate roles, Lei has been a deputy to the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China since 2013. Under his leadership, Xiaomi grew from a startup focused on smartphone software to one of the world's largest smartphone manufacturers and, more recently, an entrant into the electric vehicle market. Lei's trajectory—from a college student inspired by the founding stories of Apple to the head of a company that delivered over 381,000 units of its first electric sedan—has made him one of the most prominent technology executives in China and internationally.

Early Life

Lei Jun was born on 16 December 1969 in Xiantao, a city in Hubei province in central China. Details about his family background and childhood remain limited in publicly available English-language sources. He grew up during a period of significant economic transformation in China, as the country moved toward the market-oriented reforms initiated in the late 1970s under Deng Xiaoping. Lei has spoken publicly about how reading a book about Steve Jobs and the founding of Apple during his university years profoundly influenced his ambitions, instilling in him a desire to build a technology company that could have a similarly transformative effect.

Lei enrolled at Wuhan University, one of China's leading academic institutions, where he studied computer science. He reportedly completed his undergraduate degree requirements in an unusually short period, demonstrating an early aptitude for the field. His time at Wuhan University laid the technical foundation for what would become a career defined by both software development and hardware innovation.

Education

Lei Jun earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Wuhan University in Wuhan, Hubei province. Wuhan University is regarded as one of the oldest and most prestigious institutions of higher education in China, and its computer science program provided Lei with the technical grounding that informed his subsequent career in software engineering and technology entrepreneurship. His university years were notable not only for academic achievement but for the intellectual awakening that directed him toward the technology industry, particularly his exposure to the stories of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs.

Career

Kingsoft (1992–2007)

Lei Jun joined Kingsoft, a Chinese software company, in 1992, shortly after completing his university education. He rose through the company's ranks over the following years, eventually becoming its president and later its chairman. Kingsoft, founded in 1988, was one of China's earliest software companies and became known for its WPS Office suite, which competed with Microsoft Office in the Chinese market.

Lei's tenure at Kingsoft was marked by both accomplishments and challenges. He led the company through a period of intense competition, as international software giants expanded their presence in China. During his time as CEO, which he held from 1998, Lei worked to diversify Kingsoft's portfolio beyond office software and into areas including internet security software and online gaming. Despite these efforts, Lei later acknowledged that his years at Kingsoft were, in some respects, frustrating, as the company struggled to achieve the kind of explosive growth that characterized many of China's newer internet companies.

In 2007, Lei stepped down as CEO of Kingsoft, though he retained the position of chairman of the board—a role he continues to hold. His departure from the day-to-day management of Kingsoft marked the beginning of a transitional period during which Lei turned his attention increasingly to angel investing and venture capital.

Angel Investing and Venture Capital

Following his departure from active management at Kingsoft, Lei Jun became one of China's most prolific and successful angel investors. He invested in a number of Chinese internet and technology companies during their early stages, several of which went on to achieve significant valuations.

Among his notable early investments was Joyo.com, a Chinese e-commerce site modeled on Amazon.com. Joyo.com was acquired by Amazon in 2004, eventually becoming Amazon China.

Lei also invested in UCWeb, a mobile browser company that became one of the most popular mobile internet platforms in China and several other Asian markets. UCWeb was later acquired by Alibaba Group in 2014 in a deal reported to be worth approximately $4.7 billion, making it one of the largest acquisitions in China's internet sector at that time.

Another notable investment was in YY Inc. (later renamed JOYY Inc.), a social media and live streaming platform. When YY went public on the NASDAQ in November 2012, Lei's early investment reportedly yielded a return of approximately one hundred times his initial stake.

In 2011, Lei co-founded Shunwei Capital, a venture capital firm that has since invested in hundreds of technology companies across various sectors in China and internationally. Shunwei Capital's portfolio reflects Lei's broad interest in internet services, hardware, and the convergence of software and physical products.

Founding and Growth of Xiaomi (2010–present)

In April 2010, Lei Jun founded Xiaomi Corporation along with six co-founders. The company's name, which translates loosely to "millet" in English, was chosen to reflect the idea of starting small and growing from a humble grain. Xiaomi initially focused on developing MIUI, a custom Android-based mobile operating system, before releasing its first smartphone in August 2011.

Xiaomi's business model, which Lei has described as combining high-quality hardware sold at near-cost prices with revenue from internet services and software, disrupted the Chinese smartphone market. The company relied heavily on online sales, social media marketing, and flash sales to build a devoted following while keeping costs low. This approach allowed Xiaomi to offer smartphones with specifications comparable to premium devices at a fraction of the price charged by competitors such as Apple and Samsung.

The strategy proved enormously successful. By 2014, Xiaomi had become the leading smartphone vendor in China and was valued at $45 billion following a funding round, making it the most valuable technology startup in the world at that time. The company subsequently expanded its product lineup far beyond smartphones to include smart home devices, wearables, televisions, laptops, electric scooters, and a broad ecosystem of internet-connected products often produced by companies within Xiaomi's investment and partnership network.

Xiaomi went public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in July 2018 under the ticker 1810.HK. The initial public offering was one of the largest technology IPOs of that year.

Expansion into Electric Vehicles

In March 2021, Xiaomi announced its entry into the electric vehicle (EV) market, with Lei Jun declaring that this would be his "last major entrepreneurial project." The company committed an initial investment of 10 billion yuan (approximately $1.5 billion) to the venture, with Lei personally overseeing the project.

Xiaomi's first electric vehicle, the Xiaomi SU7, a performance sedan, was officially launched in 2024. The vehicle attracted significant consumer interest and quickly became a notable entrant in China's highly competitive EV market. By February 2026, Lei Jun announced on the Chinese social media platform Weibo that deliveries of the first-generation SU7 had exceeded 381,000 units, with monthly sales topping 39,000 units in January 2026.

In early 2026, Lei also began publicly showcasing the Xiaomi YU7, the company's upcoming SUV model. On January 3, 2026, he conducted a public teardown of the YU7, revealing its engineering and design details to consumers and the media. When a Xiaomi-branded YU7 was spotted on a California highway in February 2026, prompting speculation about a potential U.S. market entry, Lei responded on Weibo that the vehicle was "likely a comparison vehicle bought by [a] US peer" and stated that Xiaomi had no plans to enter the U.S. market at that time.

In February 2026, Lei Jun and the Xiaomi executive team unveiled a new color option called "Chixia Red" (also translated as "Sunset Red") for the next-generation SU7 model, as the company continued to expand its automotive product line.

U.S. Blacklisting and Delisting

In January 2021, the U.S. Department of Defense placed Xiaomi on a list of companies it alleged had ties to the Chinese military. According to reporting by The Wall Street Journal, the designation was linked in part to a Chinese government award Lei Jun had received, specifically the "Outstanding Builder of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics" honor. Xiaomi contested the designation in U.S. federal court, and in May 2021, a U.S. judge ordered the removal of Xiaomi from the blacklist, finding that the government's evidence was insufficient.

Philanthropy

In 2021, amid the Chinese government's push for "common prosperity," Lei Jun was among several prominent Chinese technology billionaires who made significant charitable donations. He donated a substantial portion of his personal wealth to philanthropic causes, consistent with a broader trend among China's technology leaders during that period.

Personal Life

Lei Jun is married to Zhang Tong. The couple have two children. Lei maintains a relatively low personal profile compared to some of his peers among Chinese technology billionaires, though he is highly active on Weibo, the Chinese social media platform, where he frequently communicates about Xiaomi products, company milestones, and his views on the technology industry.

Lei has been a deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC) of the People's Republic of China since 2013, participating in the annual legislative sessions and contributing proposals related to technology policy, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

Lei has been compared to Steve Jobs by members of the Chinese and international technology press, a comparison that stems both from his product presentation style and from his stated admiration for Jobs and the Apple co-founder's approach to product design. Lei has acknowledged the influence but has also distinguished his own philosophy, emphasizing Xiaomi's focus on accessibility and value for money.

Recognition

Lei Jun has received numerous awards and honors over the course of his career, reflecting his prominence in the Chinese and global technology industries.

In 2014, Forbes Asia named Lei Jun its Businessman of the Year, citing Xiaomi's rapid growth under his leadership and the company's disruption of the global smartphone market. At the time of the award, Xiaomi was the most valuable technology startup in the world.

In 2015, Lei was included in the TIME 100, the magazine's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. His inclusion recognized his role in reshaping the smartphone industry and expanding access to affordable technology.

In 2017, Lei received additional recognition for his entrepreneurial contributions and influence in the Chinese technology sector.

As of 2025, Forbes estimated Lei Jun's net worth at approximately US$42.6 billion, ranking him 33rd among the world's wealthiest individuals.

Legacy

Lei Jun's career encompasses several distinct but interconnected phases—software executive, angel investor, smartphone entrepreneur, and electric vehicle maker—that collectively have had a significant impact on the Chinese technology industry and, increasingly, on global consumer electronics and automotive markets.

His leadership of Kingsoft during the 1990s and 2000s placed him at the center of China's early software industry, giving him firsthand experience with the challenges of competing against established international firms. His subsequent investments in companies like Joyo.com, UCWeb, and YY Inc. demonstrated an ability to identify high-potential ventures in the Chinese internet economy, and the returns from these investments provided both the capital and credibility to launch Xiaomi.

Xiaomi's business model—high-specification hardware sold at minimal margins, supplemented by internet services and ecosystem product revenue—has been widely studied and imitated. The company's approach helped accelerate smartphone adoption in China, India, and other developing markets by making capable devices available at lower price points. By 2026, Xiaomi had established itself not only as one of the world's leading smartphone manufacturers but as an increasingly significant player in the electric vehicle industry, with the SU7 sedan achieving rapid sales traction in a crowded Chinese EV market.

Lei's decision to enter the EV market, which he framed as his final major entrepreneurial undertaking, represents an extension of the principles he applied in the smartphone market—competitive pricing, integrated software and hardware, and direct consumer engagement—to an entirely new industry. The early commercial performance of the Xiaomi SU7, along with the anticipated launch of the YU7 SUV, suggests that this strategy has generated meaningful initial results, though the long-term trajectory of Xiaomi's automotive business remains a subject of ongoing observation.

Through Shunwei Capital and his personal investments, Lei has also contributed to the development of China's broader technology startup ecosystem, providing early-stage funding and mentorship to numerous companies across a range of sectors.