Lei Jun is now associated with one of the world’s most successful technology brands, Xiaomi, but few know that the founder’s path to fame has been turbulent, from a humble programmer to a billionaire who made it to the top.-100 His story is not just about business talent, but also about the strategic vision that enabled Xiaomi to do business. 10 Overtake giants like Samsung and Apple in key markets.
Xiaomi is not just a smartphone maker today, it's a brand of smartwatches, routers, electric cars, appliances, and even robots. But how did one person build such an empire? In this article, we'll look at Lei Jun's biography, key milestones in Xiaomi, his management principles, and how the founder's personal qualities influenced the company's philosophy. You'll learn why he's called "China's Steve Jobs" and how his decisions shape the future of technology.
Spoiler: Xiaomi's story didn't start with a grand plan, but with a simple idea to make quality technology available to everyone, and that's not a marketing slogan, but a real principle that Lei Jun has been implementing since day one.
Who is Lei Jun: a brief biography to Xiaomi
Lei Jun was born on December 16, 1969 in Xiangtan, Hunan Province, China, and his family was not wealthy: his father was a teacher, his mother was a housewife, and he had already developed an interest in technology in his school, disassembling and assembling radios, and in 1987 he enrolled in the computer science department of Wuhan University, a choice that predetermined his career.
After graduating in 1992, Lei Jun became an engineer at Kingsoft, a Chinese software company, and in just 6 years he rose to the position of CEO, and in 1998 he headed the company. WPS Office, which still rivals Microsoft Office, taught him two key things:
- 📌 Product localization – adapting to the Chinese market was critical to success.
- 💡 Marketing Innovation – Lei Jun was one of the first in China to use viral marketing.
- 💰 Investment Management – He has attracted strategic investors, including Goldman Sachs, to Kingsoft.
In 2007, Lei Jun left Kingsoft but remained on the board, and by then he had already been known as an angel investor, investing in more than 20 startups, including future rival Xiaomi UCWeb. UC This period became the incubator for his future project.
⚠️ Attention: Many people mistakenly believe that Lei Jun founded Xiaomi right after leaving Kingsoft, but in fact, it was 4 years between these events, a time he devoted to market research and investment in the company. IT-startup.
How Xiaomi came to be: the history of the company’s creation
Xiaomi was officially incorporated on April 6, 2010 in Beijing, but the idea came earlier, during Lei Jun's 2009 trip to Silicon Valley, where he met the founders of Google and Facebook, who inspired him to create a company that combined hardware and Internet services.
Xiaomi’s initial team consisted of 8 people, including:
- 👨💻 Lin Bin (co-founder, now president of the company) – Android expert.
- 📱 Hong Feng is a mobile specialist (previously at Google China).
- 💰 Li Wangqiang, CFO, formerly managed funds at Morgan Stanley.
Start-up capital amounted to $$10 million in personal savings and investments from Morningside Venture Capital. MIUI — It was released in August 2010, and in a year the number of users exceeded 1 million.
The first smartphone Xiaomi Mi 1 was released in August 2011.
| Parameter | Characteristics |
|---|---|
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 (1.5 GHz) |
| RAM | 1GB |
| Memory. | 4 GB (non-expandable) |
| Screen. | 4" TFT, 854×480 |
| Price. | 1999 yuan (~$310) |
In 12 hours, 300,000 devices were sold, a record for the Chinese market. The secret to success? Lei Jun used a direct-selling model (without intermediaries) and aggressive online marketing through forums and social media.
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The first smartphone Xiaomi Mi 1 was released in a limited edition – it created a stir and formed the image of the company as a manufacturer of “exclusive” equipment.
Lei Jun’s philosophy: Xiaomi’s 7 management principles
Lei Jun is often compared to Steve Jobs for his ability to create iconic products, but his approach is unique, and here are the key principles he articulated during his years as president:
- "Focus on the user — all decisions in Xiaomi are made based on customer feedback. MIUI It came after numerous requests.
- "Innovation must be available" — Lei Jun calls it "premium at an affordable price. Example: Redmi Note smartphone 4 (2017) Snapdragon-powered 625 cost less than competitors 30-40%.
- “Ecosystems are more important than individual products” – Xiaomi now sells more than 3,000 products, from light bulbs to electric vehicles, all integrated into a single Mi Home system.
Another important aspect is the culture of the company.
- 🏢 "Flat structure: minimum bureaucracy, direct communication between departments.
- 🚀 "Startup culture – even after IPO In 2018, Xiaomi retains the flexibility of a small company.
- 💬 "Transparency – weekly sales and plans are published to all employees.
Lei Jun personally tests every new Xiaomi product before release, from smartphones to vacuum cleaners. For example, before the release of the Mi Mix (the first smartphone with a frameless screen), he used a prototype for 3 months, fixing all the bugs.
Key achievements of Xiaomi under the leadership of Lei Jun
In 13 years, Xiaomi has gone from a startup to a global giant.
| Year | Event | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Redmi – a sub-brand for budget smartphones | Market consolidation in developing countries |
| 2014 | First place in smartphone sales in China | Overtaking Samsung and Apple in the home market |
| 2016 | Mi Home launches – smart home ecosystem | Business diversification |
| 2018 | IPO Hong Kong stock exchange ($54 billion capitalization) | One of the biggest exits IPO Asia |
| 2021 | Rising to 2nd place in smartphone sales in the world | Market share: 17% (Canalys data) |
Lei Jun is particularly focused on internationalization, and Xiaomi is now leading the way in:
- 🇮🇳 India (market share – 24% in 2023).
- 🇪🇺 Europe (3rd place after Samsung and Apple).
- 🌍 Latin America (sales growth of 60% in 2022).
The company has faced challenges:
- ⚖️ Patent suits from Ericsson and Qualcomm (settled in the United States) 2016-2017 garland.).
- 🔒 In 2021, Xiaomi was included in the “black list” of the Pentagon, but the courts overturned this decision.
- 📉 China's sales slump (2022-2023) Competition with Huawei and Honor.
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Lei Jun always emphasizes that Xiaomi is not just a company, but a “fan movement,” so he actively communicates with users on forums and social networks, answering questions and criticism.
Personal life and hobbies of the founder of Xiaomi
Despite the status of a billionaire (according to Forbes, his fortune in 2023 is estimated at the highest level of the world’s population). $12.5 billion), Lei Jun is a modest man, married to Zhang Tsung, whom he met while at university.
His hobbies:
- 📚 Reading is your favorite book: a biography of Steve Jobs and Peter Thiel's Zero to One.
- 🏃 Sports – running and yoga (does daily from 5 a.m).
- 🎮 Gaming is a fan of League of Legends and retro consoles (he has a collection of them). NES and SEGA Genesis).
Fun fact: Lei Jun is known for his love of jeans and black T-shirts, his "brand style" that he took from Steve Jobs, and in an interview, he joked, "I don't have to waste time choosing clothes - I have 100 identical T-shirts."
He is also actively involved in charity:
- 🎓 In 2013, he founded the Leijun Foundation to support rural education in China.
- 🏥 In 2020, he donated. $$14 million to fight against COVID-19.
- 🌱 Invests in environmental projects, including recycling of e-waste.
⚠️ Attention: Lei Jun never advertises his charity, and most of his donations come from foundation reports, not press releases.
Xiaomi’s Future: Electric Cars, AI and Global Expansion
In 2021, Lei Jun announced Xiaomi's most ambitious project, the production of electric vehicles. $10 billion in development and built a factory in Beijing. Xiaomi's first sedan SU7 It was presented in December 2023 with specifications:
- 🔋 Battery: 101 kWh (range 800 km).
- ⚡ Dispersal 0-100 km/h: 2.78 seconds.
- 🤖 Autopilot system: Xiaomi Pilot (level 3 on the SAE).
In parallel, Xiaomi is developing:
- 🤖 Robotics – in 2022 introduced the humanoid robot CyberOne.
- 🌐 IoT platform – more than 500 million devices connected by 2023.
- 📱 Foldable smartphones - Xiaomi MIX Fold 3 is the first device with a frameless internal screen.
Lei Jun sets three strategic goals for the company. 2026-2027 years:
- Become the world’s leading smartphone sales (overtaking Samsung)
- Bring Xiaomi Auto to the top-5 Electric car manufacturers in China.
- Increase the share of revenue from services (cloud, advertising, subscriptions) to 30%.
Why did Xiaomi decide to make cars?
Competitors and Criticism: What Lei Jun’s Experience Teaches
Xiaomi's success has not been easy, and it faces challenges all the time:
| Problem. | Lei Jun's decision |
|---|---|
| Copying Apple's design | Change of strategy: focus on innovation (e.g., the Mi Mix with a frameless screen in 2016). |
| Low margins on smartphones | Ecosystem development (accessories and services revenue grew from 5% in 2015 to 25% in 2023). |
| Geopolitical Risks | Localization of production (factories in India, Brazil, Indonesia). |
Critics often reproach Xiaomi for:
- 📉 "Aggressive copying – the first smartphones resembled the iPhone, and MIUI borrowed elements from iOS.
- 🔄 "Unreliable updates – some models stopped receiving support after 2 years.
- 🛒 "Artificial deficits – limited parties created a stir, but disappointed customers.
Lei Jun responds, "We learn from mistakes. In 2015, I realized that copying was a dead end, and we moved on to our own designs. Today, we have 12,000 patents, and that number is growing."
Focus on the customer, not the competition|Invest in ecosystems, not individual products|Adapt quickly to market changes|Maintaining a startup culture even after growth|Use crises as an opportunity for innovation-->
How to Contact Lei Jun or Visit Xiaomi
Lei Jun is known for being open, and this is how you interact with him.
- 📧 Email – official address for the press: pr@xiaomi.com. He doesn’t read personal letters, but important suggestions are passed on to his team.
- 🐦 Social media — he has a Weibo account (@) where he posts news and answers questions (@Leijun) Posts are duplicated automatically.
- 🏢 Visit to the headquarters - Xiaomi organizes excursions for fans.
If you want to work for Xiaomi, follow the job openings at careers.xiaomi.com. Lei Jun personally interviews top managers and occasionally participates in internships for young professionals.
⚠️ Attention: Lei Jun never asks for money transfers or personal data via social media. If you receive such a message on his behalf, it is fraud. Official communication channels are always checked through the Xiaomi website.
For investors: Xiaomi shares traded on the Hong Kong exchange under ticker 1810.HK. Lei Jun regularly hosts shareholder conferences, broadcasts of which are available at investor.xiaomi.com.