Who is the creator of Xiaomi: from a startup to a global empire

When it comes to disruptive technology brands, Xiaomi has consistently been at the forefront. Behind every successful product, from Mi smartphones to Yeelight smart bulbs, is the story of an ambitious team that has been able to turn the tide on affordable electronics. But who is the man who laid the foundations for that empire?

Xiaomi’s creator is not just an entrepreneur, but a visionary who has combined Chinese manufacturing power with Western marketing strategies, a name known far beyond China, but still confused with others. IT-In this article, we will explore who really started the company, how it was born in 2010, and why it is often called the “China Apple".

You might be surprised to learn that before you founded Xiaomi, the creator had already worked for giants like Kingsoft and Google China, and that the first device of the brand was born through crowdfunding among fans.

Lei Jun – Xiaomi founder: the way from engineer to billionaire

Lei Jun is now associated with one of the world’s fastest-growing technology brands, born in Hubei Province in 1969, and a childhood interest in electronics and programming, and in 1992, Lei earned a bachelor’s degree from Wuhan University, specializing in computer science, the start of his career.

First steps in IT-Ley made the field at Kingsoft, where he went from a rank-and-file engineer to CEO, and under his leadership, the company released a popular office suite. WPS Office, which still competes with Microsoft Office in the Chinese market, but the real breakthrough came in 2007, when Lei took over Google China, giving him invaluable experience in managing global technology projects.

Before founding Xiaomi, Lei Jun resigned from his post at Google and even planned to retire. But fate ordered otherwise – in 2010, together with seven partners (including former employees of Motorola and Microsoft), he registered a company that after 4 years became the most expensive startup in the world with a rating of the most expensive in the world. $46 billion.

• 🎓 Education: Wuhan University, specialty "Computer Sciences" (1992)
• 💼 Career before Xiaomi: Kingsoft (1992–2007), Google China (2007–2010)
• 💰 Status: According to Forbes (2023), Lei Jun is in the top-10 China's richest
• 📱 First product: Firmware MIUI for Android smartphones (2010)

⚠️ Note: Lei Jun is often compared to Steve Jobs, but his approach is radically different.If Apple is betting on premium, Xiaomi initially focused on price/quality ratio and direct interaction with fans through forums.

How Xiaomi came to be: from firmware MIUI before the first smartphones

Many people mistakenly think that Xiaomi started with smartphones, but it actually started with software, and in 2010, Lei Jun's team released custom firmware. MIUI Android-based, which offered users:

• 🎨 Unique interface design with iOS elements
• ⚡ Optimizing performance for weak devices
• 🔄 Weekly updates to user reviews
• 🆓 Free distribution (which was a revolution for China)

So popular was the firmware that it was installed on other brands, and this inspired Lei Jun to go further, in 2011, Xiaomi released its first smartphone, the Mi 1.

• 📦 The first 300,000 devices sold in 34 hours via online pre-order
• 💸 The Mi 1 price was just 1,999 yuan (~$300), which is 2 times cheaper than the flagships of competitors
• 🤝 The company has abandoned traditional retail, selling phones only through its website.

This approach has become Xiaomi’s signature style: minimal markups, online sales and active community engagement. By 2014, the company was already ranked 3rd in smartphone sales in the world, overtaking the company’s share of the global smartphone market. LG Lenovo.

Lei Jun’s Key Partners: Who Helped Build an Empire

Xiaomi’s success is not only due to Lei Jun, but also to his co-founding team, and in 2010, he was joined by 7 people, each of whom made a unique contribution:

A special place in the history of Xiaomi is occupied by Huang Chan, founder of Meizu, who inspired Lei Jun to create his own brand. It was the competition with Meizu in the early 2010s that forced Xiaomi to accelerate its development and enter the international market.

Today, Ley Jun’s team has more than 30,000 employees, but the founders still play a key role, such as Lin Bin, who is responsible for the development of the smart device ecosystem, and Li Wangqiang oversees international expansion, which has made Xiaomi a leader in the markets of India and Europe.

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If you see the words “Designed by” on Xiaomi’s packaging, this is a reference to Lei Jun’s nickname, which he received for his love of simple food early in his career.

Xiaomi’s philosophy: why Lei Jun abandoned traditional business

Lei Jun outlined three key principles that still define Xiaomi’s strategy:

1. Technology for All: Making high-quality devices affordable
2. Fans First – build a product based on user feedback
3. “Ecosystem instead of one-time sales” is about building devices that work together.

One of the most striking examples of this philosophy is the monetization model, which, unlike its competitors, Xiaomi makes money not on high iron margins, but on:

• 📱 Smartphones with minimal profit (1-5%)
• 💳 Service services (MIUI Ads, Mi Cloud, Mi Finance)
• 🏠 Smart home ecosystem (more than 400 devices from lamps to robot vacuum cleaners)
• 🛒 Online trading through the Mi Store platform

This approach Lei Jun called the “three iron principles”:

1. Never chase the maximum profit from one device. 2. Always stay in touch with fans through forums and social networks. 3. Invest in R&D (research and development) at least 5% of revenue.

In 2021, Xiaomi took the 2nd place in the world in terms of smartphone sales, overtaking Apple – and this despite the fact that the average price of the brand’s devices is 2-3 times lower than that of the American giant, a result made possible thanks to the strategy of Lei Jun.

Competitors and Critics: What Challenges Xiaomi Faces

Despite the resounding success, Xiaomi's path has been far from smooth.Lei Jun had to face:

• 🏭 Patent wars: In 2014 Ericsson sues Xiaomi for infringing technology patents 3G/4G. The company had to pay the $1,2 Billion for licenses.
• 🌍 U.S. sanctions: In 2021, the Trump administration blacklisted Xiaomi for alleged ties to the Chinese army (accusations later dropped).
• 📉 Growth Crisis: Smartphone sales fell 36% in 2016 due to saturation of the Chinese market.
• 🔄 Huawei competition: After sanctions against Huawei in 2019, Xiaomi got a chance to take its place, but faced pressure from Oppo and Vivo.

Lei Jun reacted to challenges in a non-standard way, for example, when analysts predicted a company’s collapse in 2016, he:

1. • Fired 15% of employees to optimize costs
2. Focused on international expansion (India, Europe, Latin America);
3. Launched a sub-brand. POCO To fight Realme and Redmi in the budget market.

The results were not long in coming: in 2018 Xiaomi became the first to become a new company. №1 in India in smartphone sales, overtaking Samsung. and in 2020 Ley Jun announced a new strategy —"5G + AIoT (Artificial Intelligence for the Internet of Things) that should make Xiaomi a leader in the era of smart homes.

Xiaomi Today: How Lei Jun Manages a Global Company

For 2026, Xiaomi is:

• 📊 3rd place in the world in smartphone sales (after Samsung and Apple);
• 🌐 Presence at 100+ countries including Russia, India and Europe;
• 💡 More than 400 smart devices in the ecosystem, from electric toothbrushes to drones);
• 🤖 The leader in sales of robot vacuum cleaners and smart lamps in the world.

Lei Jun still remains. CEO And he's been a very different person, and he's been overseeing the development of every flagship in 2010 and 2015, and he's now focused on the development of every flagship:

1. Strategic partnerships (e.g. with Leica for smartphone cameras)
2. Investment in startups (Xiaomi has invested in more than 300 companies, including Huami, the manufacturer of smart watches Amazfit);
3. Development AI IoT (in 2023, Xiaomi introduced its own large language model for smart devices).

Interesting fact: in 2022, Lei Jun announced that Xiaomi plans to release its electric car by 2026"MS11" has already attracted investments in the amount $$10 billion could mark a new milestone in the company’s history – the transition from electronics to the automotive industry.

⚠️ In recent years, Ley Jun has been actively promoting the concept of Human. × Car × Home — integrating smartphones, electric vehicles and smart homes into a single ecosystem, which means that soon your Xiaomi smartphone will be able to control not only light bulbs, but also a car.

The future of Xiaomi: where does the company lead its creator

For the next 5 years, Lei Jun sets three ambitious goals for Xiaomi:

1. Become №1 in the world in smartphone sales (overtaking Samsung);
2. To occupy 20% of the electric vehicle market in China by 2027;
3. Create the first fully autonomous smart home ecosystem AI-management.

To this end, the company invests in:

• 🔋 New battery technologies (e.g. graphene batteries for smartphones);
• 🤖 Artificial intelligence (development of its own analogue of Siri – voice assistant Xiao) AI);
• 🌱 Sustainability (by 2026, Xiaomi plans to use 100% of recycled materials in packaging).

But Lei Jun also faces serious challenges:

• 📵 Competing with Apple in the premium market (Xiaomi 14 Ultra series directly competes with the iPhone Pro);
• 🇺🇸 Geopolitical Risks (Possible New US Sanctions Against Chinese Tech Companies);
• 📉 Smartphone market saturation (global sales fall for second year in a row).

Despite this, Lei Jun remains optimistic, and in a 2023 interview, he stated, "Xiaomi is not just a company, it's a movement. We want technology to improve everyone's lives, not be a privilege for the few." And judging by the pace of development, he has every chance of achieving that goal.

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Lei Jun is the only founder of the TOP-5 Smartphone brands who still personally head their company (unlike Apple, Samsung or Huawei).

FAQ: Frequent questions about the creator of Xiaomi