Xiaomi is one of the most talked-about technology brands of the last decade. Smartphones, smart appliances, electric cars — the company's products have penetrated into every area of our lives. But who is behind this giant? Who owns Xiaomi and how its corporate structure works? In this article, we will examine in detail the history of the brand, its owners, financial performance and debunk popular myths.
Many people mistakenly think that Xiaomi is “just a Chinese company” without understanding its global scale, but it is actually a multinational conglomerate with offices in dozens of countries, listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and ranked among the top of the list.-5 Xiaomi’s ownership structure is not as simple as that of traditional corporations, with room for founders, institutional investors, and even government funds.
Whether you’re planning to buy Xiaomi equipment, invest in Xiaomi stock, or just want to know who actually owns the brand, this article will provide exhaustive answers, and we’ll review official documents, shareholder reports, and peer reviews to provide up-to-date information for 2026.
Who founded Xiaomi: a brief history of the brand
Xiaomi was founded in April 2010 in Beijing by a group of eight entrepreneurs, most of whom had experience working for China’s leading technology corporations. The main ideologist and face of the brand was Lei Jun (Lei Jun) – a former top manager of Kingsoft (Chinese equivalent of Microsoft) and one of the most successful. IT-China.
Interesting fact: Xiaomi's name translates from Chinese as "millet" -- a small cereal plant, which Lei Jun says symbolizes the humble beginning of a company that was supposed to grow into a powerful tree over time"MI" — It also has a double meaning: on the one hand, it is an acronym for Mobile Internet, on the other - a stylized image of the heart, emphasizing the love of technology.
In the first years, Xiaomi positioned itself as a startup focused on software development. MIUI For Android smartphones, it was released in 2010 and quickly gained popularity among Chinese users. A year later, the company released its first smartphone - Xiaomi Mi 1, which sold 300,000 copies in a few months.
- 📅 2010 - Company foundation, exit MIUI
- 📱 2011 – release of the first smartphone Mi 1
- 🌍 2014 – Entering international markets (India, Singapore, Malaysia)
- 💰 2018 — IPO on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, capitalization $54 billion
- 🚗 2021 – the announcement of the electric car Xiaomi SU7
Xiaomi is not just a smartphone, but also an ecosystem of smart devices, from Mi Robot Vacuum vacuum cleaners to Mi Electric Scooter electric scooters. The company is actively investing in artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT) and even space technology (in 2023, Xiaomi announced a partnership with the Chinese aerospace Corporation).
Xiaomi’s ownership structure: Who owns the company?
Xiaomi Corporation is a public company whose shares are traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX) ticker-tick 1810.HK. This means that the brand is formally owned by thousands of shareholders, among which:
- 👔 Founders and top managers (including Lei Jun)
- 🏦 Institutional investors (pension funds, hedge funds)
- 🇨🇳 Government entities of China (through subsidiaries)
- 📈 Private investors (individuals buying shares on the stock exchange)
But the real management of the company is concentrated in the hands of a narrow circle of people, according to the latest annual report (2023), the largest beneficiaries of Xiaomi are:
| Owner | Share in the company | Role in Xiaomi |
|---|---|---|
| Lei Jun (Lei Jun) | ~13.5% | Co-founder, Chairman of the Board of Directors, CEO |
| Lin Bin (Lin Bin) | ~4.1% | Co-founder, President (resigned in 2019) |
| China's public funds | ~8.3% (indirectly) | Investment companies such as China Mobile and Qualcomm |
| Institutional investors | ~50%+ | The largest are BlackRock, Vanguard, T. Rowe Price |
| Other shareholders | ~24.1% | Small holders, employees with options |
Key fact: despite his public status, Lei Jun retains control of the company through a dual-class share system, which gives him more than 50% of the vote at the shareholders’ meeting, allowing the founder to make strategic decisions without the approval of most investors.
It is important to understand that Xiaomi is not only the parent company of Xiaomi Corporation, but also a network of subsidiaries and investment funds.
- POCO — Sub-brand for budget smartphones (originally part of Xiaomi, now semi-independent)
- Redmi – line of affordable devices (wholly owned by Xiaomi)
- Black Shark – brand of gaming smartphones (acquired in 2021)
- Huami is a wearable electronics manufacturer (now an independent company, but closely related to Xiaomi)
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To check Xiaomi’s current shareholder structure, visit the official Investor Relations section on the company’s website, where quarterly reports detailing ownership are published.
Myths about Xiaomi: debunking popular misconceptions
There are a lot of rumors going around the Xiaomi brand, from the harmless to the downright absurd, and we're going to take a look at some of the most common myths and find out what's true and what's fiction.
⚠️ Attention: One of the most persistent myths is that Xiaomi is “owned by the Chinese government.” This is not true: the company does work closely with government agencies (like any major corporation in China), but is not directly owned by the government. However, in 2020, Xiaomi was included in the US blacklist of companies allegedly associated with the Chinese army – this led to a temporary drop in shares.
Myth 1: “Xiaomi is just a copy of Apple”
Indeed, the first Xiaomi smartphones looked like the iPhone, and the interface MIUI It borrowed many elements from iOS, but today it has its own patents, including the use of a new version of the software:
- 🔋 HyperCharge fast charging technology (200W)
- 📷 Sony sensor cameras IMX800 (joint-work)
- 🤖 IoT Mi Home Platform with 400 Support+ device
In 2023, Xiaomi ranked 3rd in the world in the number of registered patents in the field 5G — ahead of even Huawei.
Myth 2: “Xiaomi sells cheap phones and makes money off of user data.”
This is partly true, but with reservations. Yes, Xiaomi does monetize services. MIUI, cloud services, but the company's main revenue still comes from selling devices, according to the 2023 report:
- 📱 62% of revenue – smartphones
- 💡 26% of smart tech and IoT
- 🌐 12% – Internet services (including advertising)
Myth 3: “Xiaomi will soon go bankrupt because of competition”
Despite falling sales in 2022 (against the backdrop of the global crisis), Xiaomi is showing steady growth.
- 📈 3rd place in the smartphone market (after Samsung and Apple)
- 🚗 I introduced the electric car. SU7, Which collected 50,000 pre-orders in 24 hours.
- 🤝 Strengthened partnership with Leica to develop photography in smartphones
Why is Xiaomi so cheap?
Xiaomi and China: How does the government influence the company?
Every major company in China interacts with the government in some way, and Xiaomi is no exception, but the extent of that influence is often exaggerated, and we'll look at how the state is connected to the brand.
Regulatory requirements
Like all Chinese. IT-The company, Xiaomi, is obliged:
- 📜 Comply with the Cybersecurity Law (Storing User Data on Servers in China)
- 🔒 Provide access to encrypted data at the request of the authorities (within the framework of anti-terrorist legislation)
- 🚫 Block access to services banned in China (Google, Facebook, Twitter) in local versions of firmware
2. Government investment
The government does not have a direct stake in Xiaomi, but a number of state funds are among the shareholders through intermediaries.
- China Mobile is China’s largest mobile operator, Xiaomi’s development partner 5G
- Qualcomm China is a joint venture with Qualcomm, partially controlled by Chinese authorities.
- National Integrated Circuit Industry Fund – a government fund investing in semiconductor technologies (invested in Xiaomi through subsidiaries)
⚠️ Note: Xiaomi was blacklisted in 2021 by the U.S. for companies allegedly linked to the Chinese military, which led to a temporary 10% drop in the stock, but the company later successfully challenged the decision in court. The risks of geopolitical sanctions for Xiaomi remain relevant.
3. Support for expansion
The Chinese government is actively promoting Xiaomi’s entry into international markets through:
- 🌐 Diplomatic support (e.g. trade agreements with Asian and African countries)
- 💱 Financial benefits for exporters of high-tech products
- 🏭 Subsidies for the construction of plants abroad (for example, Xiaomi factory in India received tax preferences)
Xiaomi is trying to diversify its production to reduce its dependence on China.
- 🇮🇳 50% of smartphones in India are made locally
- 🇧🇷 In Brazil, there is a factory for the assembly of Mi TVs TV
- 🇷🇺 In Russia (until 2022) was established assembly of some models of Redmi
Xiaomi vs Other Chinese Brands: Who Owns Who?
Xiaomi is often confused with other Chinese tech giants such as Huawei, Oppo or Vivo, and we will examine the key differences in ownership structure.
| Brand | Foundation year | Key owners | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xiaomi | 2010 | Lei Jun (13.5%), institutional investors | Public company, IoT ecosystem, low margins |
| Huawei | 1987 | Employees (share system for employees) | Closed company, leader in 5G, sanctions |
| Oppo | 2004 | Group BBK Electronics (owned by Duan Yongping) | Part of the holding together with Vivo, Realme, OnePlus |
| Vivo | 2009 | Group BBK Electronics | Focus on cameras and audio, strong in Asia |
| Realme | 2018 | Group BBK Electronics (selected from Oppo) | Budget sub-brand, aggressive marketing |
The main differences of Xiaomi:
- Publicity: Unlike Huawei or BBK, Xiaomi is listed on the stock exchange, which provides transparency.
- Ecosystem: Xiaomi has no analogues in the number of smart devices (more than 400 models in the Mi Home line).
- Pricing: Xiaomi has traditionally offered lower prices through logistics and production optimization.
- Global expansion: if Oppo/Vivo Focused on Asia, Xiaomi is actively developing Europe and Latin America.
Interestingly, despite the competition, Xiaomi and Oppo are collaborating on chip development, and in 2023 they jointly invested in Unisoc, one of China’s few smartphone processors.
Check the serial number at mi.com/verify
Pay attention to the quality of the packaging (holograms, fonts)
Compare the IMEI on the box and in the phone settings (Settings → About the phone)
Buy only from official dealers (list on Xiaomi website)-->
Xiaomi financial indicators: how much is the brand worth?
As of 2026, Xiaomi Corporation is estimated to be $45-50 billion (by capitalization on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange). for comparison, in 2018, during the IPO company $54 billion, but the crisis of 2022 temporarily reduced its value to $25 billion.
Key financial indicators (2023):
- 💰 Revenue: $37.6 billion (+4% by 2022)
- 📉 Net income: $1.2 billion (a 10% drop due to investments in cars and cars) AI)
- 📱 Smartphone sales: 150 million units (3rd place in the world)
- 🌍 Share of international sales: 52% (record figure)
Main income items:
- Smartphones (62%) are the flagship models of Xiaomi 14, Mix Fold 3, as well as the Redmi line.
- Smart equipment (26%) – robot vacuum cleaners, smart lamps, fitness bracelets Mi Band.
- Internet services (12%) – advertising in the MIUI, Mi Cloud, Mi Pay.
In 2026, Xiaomi plans to increase revenues by:
- 🚗 Sale of electric vehicle SU7 (starting prices $30 000)
- 🤖 Robotics Developments (CyberDog 2 Project)
- 🌐 Expansion of cloud services for business (competitor) AWS AliCloud)
⚠️ Note: Xiaomi’s stock is considered high-risk due to geopolitical factors: In 2022, the company came under pressure from sanctions against China, and in 2023 – due to the decline in the smartphone market. Before investing, be sure to review the latest analytical reports (e.g. from Bloomberg or Reuters).
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Despite the temporary decline, Xiaomi remains one of China’s most innovative companies, with its main advantage being an ecosystem of devices that keeps users within the brand (e.g., Xiaomi’s smartphone owner is likely to buy a Mi Watch).
Xiaomi’s Future: Electric Cars, AI and Global Expansion
In 2026, Xiaomi is on the cusp of the biggest transformation in its history - the entry of electric vehicles. - Xiaomi Project EV develops from 2021, and in March 2026 the first sedan was presented SU7 characteristically:
- 🔋 Power reserve: up to 800 km (on a single charge)
- ⚡ Acceleration 0–100 km/h: 2.78 seconds (top version)
- 🤖 Autopilot: Xiaomi Pilot system (level 3 according to classification) SAE)
- 💰 Price: from $30,000 (competitor to Tesla Model 3)
In addition to the car, Xiaomi is betting on:
- 🤖 Artificial intelligence: in 2023, the company introduced its own LLM-model (analogue of ChatGPT) for integration into MIUI.
- 🌍 Expansion in Europe: New offices opened in Germany and France, local assembly launched in Turkey.
- 🔒 Data security: Xiaomi moved servers to Singapore and Malaysia after US sanctions.
Analysts’ forecasts for 2026-2030:
- 📈 15-20% growth in revenue from auto and IoT.
- 🥇 Entrance to the top-3 Electric Vehicle Manufacturers in China (after the BYD Tesla).
- 🤝 Partnership with Nvidia for Development AI-chip.
However, there are risks:
- 🇺🇸 Possible new US sanctions against Chinese tech companies.
- 🇮🇳 Competition in key market of India (where Xiaomi leads with 24 shares%).
- 📉 Falling demand for smartphones due to market saturation.