Xiaomi - whose brand is it? Owners, history and structure of the company

When you buy a Xiaomi smartphone, a Mi Band smartwatch, or a Mi Robot Vacuum robot vacuum cleaner, you become part of an ecosystem that has transformed over 13 years from a startup into a global tech giant. But who is behind this brand? Who really owns Xiaomi, and how its financial and management structure works? These questions become especially relevant amid geopolitical tensions, sanctions against Chinese companies and rumors about the possible withdrawal of the brand from the Russian market.

In this article, we will discuss in detail:

• 🔍 Who founded Xiaomi and how Lei Jun from the programmer became a billionaire with a fortune $12 billion
• 📊 The ownership structure: who really controls the company IPO 2018
• 🌍 Geopolitical Risks: Why Xiaomi Was Sanctioned by the U.S. and How It Impacted Business
• 💰 Financial indicators 2023-2026: profit, losses and development strategy
• 📱 The ecosystem of brands: how Xiaomi is different from Redmi, POCO and Black Shark

You will learn not only about the formal owners, but also about how key decisions are made at the company, who influences its strategy and why Xiaomi is still one of the most closed technology corporations in China despite its public status.

1. Xiaomi founder: Lei Jun - from programmer to billionaire

Lei Jun is inextricably linked to Xiaomi’s history, and was born in Hubei Province in 1969 and began his career in the country. IT Back in 1992, when he joined Kingsoft, the Chinese equivalent of Microsoft, Lei went from being a rank-and-file engineer to CEO in 16 years, bringing Kingsoft to the world. IPO He was in Hong Kong in 2007, but he was really famous for the Xiaomi project, which was launched in 2010.

Interesting fact: Xiaomi literally translates to “millet” — a cereal crop that in China is associated with something small but useful. Lei Jun often said that he wants to create a company that will be “like millet — small but nutritious.” $50 billion, which makes this metaphor particularly ironic.

Key milestones of Lei Jun's biography:

• 🎓 1991 – graduate of Wuhan University with a degree in computer science»
• 💼 1992–2007 – working for Kingsoft, going public
• 📱 2010 – Xiaomi was founded with 7 co-founders (including Lin Bin, the current president of the company)
• 💰 2018 — IPO Xiaomi in Hong Kong, Lei Jun becomes a dollar billionaire
• 🏆 2021 – Forbes list as one of China’s 100 richest people ($12.5 billion)

Despite his status as a public company, Lei Jun retains a significant influence on Xiaomi’s strategy: He personally oversees the direction of the smart home ecosystem and invests in startups through the Shunwei Capital fund he founded in 2011, while Lei is known for his perfectionism, which is rumored to be personally testing each new Xiaomi device before release.

Xiaomi’s ownership structure: Who really owns the company?

After going public in Hong Kong in July 2018 (HKEX: 1810) Xiaomi formally went public, but like many Chinese corporations, its ownership structure remains complex and opaque. As of 2026, the distribution of shares is as follows:

Key nuance: Although Lei Jun owns only 13.3 percent of the shares, he controls 57.8 percent of the vote thanks to a Class B stock system (10 votes per share), which allows him to block any strategic decisions, even if they are opposed by a majority of minority shareholders, a structure typical of Chinese tech companies (such as Alibaba or Tencent), but has drawn criticism from foreign investors.

Among the largest institutional investors Xiaomi:

• 🏦 BlackRock (5.2%) is the world’s largest investment fund.
• 🏦 Vanguard Group (3.1%) – second largest holder
• 🏦 Temasek Holdings (2.8%) – Singapore sovereign wealth fund
• 🇨🇳 China Mobile (1.4%) – state-owned telecommunications operator

It is important to understand that the Chinese government indirectly influences Xiaomi through state funds and regulators, for example, in 2021 the company was blacklisted by the US Department of Defense for alleged ties to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Xiaomi appealed the decision and won the court, but the incident showed the vulnerability of the brand to geopolitical risks.

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If you buy Xiaomi shares (ticker) 1810.HK), Keep in mind that the real management of the company is in the hands of Lei Jun and his team, and even with a majority stake, outside investors cannot dictate strategy.

Geopolitics and Sanctions: Why is Xiaomi in the crosshairs of the US and EU?

Xiaomi is one of the few Chinese tech companies that has successfully entered global markets without facing major restrictions, but its position remains precarious due to several factors:

⚠️ Note: Xiaomi was listed as a Chinese military-linked company by the Pentagon in 2021, and although that decision was later reversed, the risk of re-sanctions remains, especially in the context of the U.S.-China trade war.

The main geopolitical risks for Xiaomi:

1. Espionage allegations: India banned 59 Chinese apps, including Mi Browser, in 2020 because of a "national security threat" Xiaomi denied handing over user data to Chinese authorities, but the scandal affected sales in the country
2. Dependence on American technology: Xiaomi uses Qualcomm chips, MediaTek (a Taiwanese company) and Google software. Sanctions against these suppliers (as in the case of Huawei) can paralyze production.
3. European regulators: In 2023, the EU launched an investigation against Xiaomi on suspicion of unfair competition (dumping prices for smartphones).

How Xiaomi is trying to mitigate the risks:

• 🌐 Production localization: Plants in India (but after the scandal of 2020, their share fell from 99% to 60% of the market), Indonesia and Brazil.
• 🔒 In 2022, Xiaomi opened the Transparency Center in Europe, where independent auditors can check the code of firmware.
• 💼 Diversifying Business: Escaped from Smartphone Dependence (Shares of Revenue Fall from 70% in 2018 to 50% in 2023).

Against the backdrop of these challenges, Xiaomi is actively developing its own technologies:

• 📱 Surge processors: Surge is expected to be released in 2026 C3 — Xiaomi's third generation chips (the first two were used only in devices for China).

4. Xiaomi's financial performance: profit, loss and strategy for 2026

Despite external challenges, Xiaomi has shown steady growth, and in 2023, the company published the following results:

Pay attention to two key trends:

1. Smartphone sales decline: In 2023 Xiaomi has lost its year 5% The market is being challenged by competition from Transsion (Tecno, Infinix) in Africa and Samsung in Europe, but the average price of the device has increased by a few years. 12% Thanks to the Xiaomi premium series 13/14 Mix Fold.
2. IoT growth: Smart devices (lamps, vacuum cleaners, air conditioners) now bring 32% Revenue is a record for a company, as Lei Jun calls it a strategy. 1+4+X», where «1» — smartphone, «4» — TVs, laptops, routers and smart speakers, and the “X” – other gadgets.

Xiaomi’s financial goals for 2026-2026 are:

• 📈 Increase the share of premium smartphones (price) > $600) from 12% to 20%
• 🚗 Enter the electric car market with Xiaomi model SU7 (bid ~$30 000)
• 🌍 Double sales in Latin America and Africa
• 🤖 Invest $$1 billion in AI and robotics development

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Xiaomi is gradually transforming from “China’s Apple” into a multi-industry technology conglomerate, and its success is now less dependent on smartphones and more on the smart home ecosystem and new destinations (cars, AI).

5. Xiaomi Brand Ecosystem: Who is Who?

Many users confuse Xiaomi, Redmi, POCO And Black Shark, which is a separate company, and they're actually all owned by Xiaomi Group, but they're positioned for different audiences:

Important nuances:

• 🔄 Redmi was originally a sub-brand of Xiaomi, but in 2019 became an independent unit (although still owned by the group.
• 🎮 POCO Black Shark and Black Shark compete with each other: the first focus on “democratic” gaming smartphones, the second – on top devices with active cooling.
• 🏠 All brands use a single Mi Account ecosystem and are compatible with Xiaomi smart home devices.

Interesting fact: in 2023, Xiaomi began to secretly test a new sub-brand codenamed Project M. According to rumors, it will be focused on the market of laptops and tablets premium (competitors MacBook and iPad Pro). MIUI There are already links to devices with the marketing name Mi Pad Pro X.

🔍 Check it out. IMEI site mi.com/verify

📦 Make sure the box has a hologram and Xiaomi print

📱 In the settings of the phone should be a section Mi Account with the ability to link to the account

🔋 Original devices support fast charging (e.g, 120W Redmi Note 12 Pro+)-->

Xiaomi in Russia: Prospects and Risks in 2026

The Russian market has traditionally been one of the key for Xiaomi: in 2021, the company occupied 31% of the smartphone market here (according to Counterpoint), however, after February 24, 2022, the situation has changed radically:

The main problems of Xiaomi in Russia:

• 🛑 Suspension of official deliveries: Since June 2022, Xiaomi has stopped direct deliveries to Russia due to sanctions).
• 💸 Price growth: Due to logistics and the ruble, Xiaomi smartphones have risen in price by 30-50%, for example, Xiaomi 13 Lite, which in 2022 cost 35 000 ₽, Now it's selling for 50,000.+ ₽.
• 🔄 Warranty issues: Service centers are not officially operational, although some partners (e.g., Svyaznoy) offer "alternative" service.
• 📵 Software restrictions: New devices do not have Google services (due to sanctions against Huawei, which affected other Chinese manufacturers), instead of them, Mi App Store and Russian analogues are preinstalled (Yandex.Mail, VK).

Xiaomi is still popular in Russia thanks to:

• 🛒 Parallel imports: In 2023, Russia was imported ~5 million Xiaomi smartphones (3rd place after Samsung and Apple).
• 💡 Local initiatives: For example, Mi Home added support for Alice from Yandex and Smart Home from Sber.
• 🔋 Price/quality: Even with the price increase, Xiaomi remains cheaper than its competitors. For example, the Redmi Note 12 with the Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 is worth it. ~25 000 ₽, While similar to the Samsung Galaxy A34 — 35 000 ₽.

⚠️ Note: When buying Xiaomi through parallel import, check: Russian firmware (not all devices are adapted for the Russian Federation). Warranty: Many sellers offer a "store warranty" that does not apply to hardware defects. Certification: The device must have the EAC sign (Eurasian Compliance), without these points you risk getting a gray machine without support. 4G Russian operators.

Xiaomi’s prospects in Russia for 2026:

• 📉 Market share decline to 15-20% (from 31 percent in 2021) due to competition with Realme, Tecno and the return of Huawei.
• 🔄 Focus on the smart home: Xiaomi actively promotes Mi Robot Vacuum, Mi Air Purifier and Mi Smart Band, which are not subject to sanctions.
• 🚀 Possible rebranding: Xiaomi is rumored to be considering releasing devices under a different brand (such as MiR) to bypass restrictions.

7.The future of Xiaomi: electric cars, AI and global expansion

Lei Jun calls 2026 a “tipping point” for Xiaomi, and the company has ambitious goals that could radically change its image:

Three key areas of development:

1. Electric vehicles (Xiaomi) EV): 🚗 The first model is Xiaomi SU7 (Tesla Model 3 Sedan to go on sale in China in March 2026. 🔋 Claimed range of 800 km (thanks to battery) CTB from CATL). 💰 Price starts from $30,000 (cheaper than Tesla by 20-30%). 🌍 Export plans to Europe from 2026.

Global expansion:

• 🌎 Priority markets are India (despite tensions), Latin America (Brazil, Mexico) and Africa (Nigeria, South Africa).
• 🏭 Localization of production: new plant in Turkey (2026) for EU supplies.
• 💼 Partnering with MediaTek to build Dimensity chips specifically for Xiaomi devices.

Xiaomi’s ambitious projects are not without risks.

• 🔋 Electric Vehicles: Competition with BYD, NIO Tesla in China is extremely high, Bloomberg analysts say SU7 The chance of success only when selling >100,000 units per year.
• 🤖 AI and robotics: Xiaomi lags behind Boston Dynamics (Hyundai) and Tesla Optimus in the development of humanoid robots.
• 📉 Financial burden: Investing in new directions can reduce profits in the short term (as it happened with the new business). MIUI for Cars in 2022).

Lei Jun says Xiaomi plans to enter the market by 2026 TOP-3 The world’s smartphone makers (now 4th after Apple, Samsung and Oppo) need to increase sales by 30% – a challenge that can be achieved by diversifying their business.

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Xiaomi is no longer just a smartphone maker, and is becoming a tech giant with ambitions in the automotive, AI, and robotics industries, whose success will determine whether the company becomes the new “Chinese Samsung” or the same as Huawei.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the Xiaomi brand