Chinese entrepreneur and founder of Xiaomi
Lei Jun is a Chinese entrepreneur, software developer, and investor best known as the founder, chairman, and chief executive of Xiaomi, one of the world's largest consumer-electronics and smartphone companies. A prominent figure in China's technology industry, he has built a career spanning software, e-commerce, venture investing, and hardware.
Lei was born in Xiantao, in China's Hubei province, and studied computer science at Wuhan University. After graduation he joined Kingsoft, a Chinese software company, where he rose through the ranks over many years to become its chief executive. Under his leadership, Kingsoft expanded its product lines and eventually went public, an achievement that established Lei as a respected leader in the country's growing software sector.
During this period he also became involved in e-commerce, founding an online bookstore that he later sold to a major international retailer. These experiences gave him broad exposure to consumer markets, internet business models, and the rapid evolution of China's digital economy, all of which would inform his later ventures.
In 2010, Lei co-founded Xiaomi, a company that would become central to his legacy. Xiaomi initially gained attention for its smartphones, which combined competitive specifications with aggressive pricing and a software experience built around its own user interface. The company cultivated a devoted fan base and pioneered online-first sales strategies and flash sales that helped it scale quickly in China and then abroad.
Over time Xiaomi expanded far beyond phones into a vast ecosystem of connected products, including smart-home devices, wearables, appliances, and accessories. This strategy, sometimes described as building an internet-of-things ecosystem, helped diversify the company and deepen customer loyalty. Xiaomi grew into a global brand with a significant presence in markets across Asia, Europe, and beyond, and it became one of the leading smartphone makers worldwide.
Alongside his operational roles, Lei is known as a prolific angel investor who backed numerous Chinese technology startups, several of which became successful companies in their own right. His investments and mentorship contributed to the broader development of China's startup ecosystem, reinforcing his reputation as both an operator and a financier.
Lei has been recognized as one of the most influential figures in Chinese technology, frequently appearing on lists of the country's leading business leaders. He is known for an energetic, product-focused leadership style and for engaging directly with the public and with Xiaomi's user community. In more recent years he has guided the company into new and ambitious areas, including ventures beyond traditional electronics, signaling a continued appetite for expansion and innovation.
His career reflects the broader rise of China's technology sector over the past few decades, from software and the early internet to global hardware manufacturing and connected devices. By combining engineering knowledge, marketing savvy, and a clear vision for accessible technology, Lei Jun has helped shape the way millions of consumers experience modern electronics. He remains a closely watched leader whose decisions carry significant weight in the global technology landscape.
Xiaomi, the carmaker led by founder Lei Jun, says its YU7 GT lapped the Nürburgring Nordschleife with nobody behind the wheel, claiming the first officially timed fully autonomous run of the circuit.
