Lei Jun
Born 1969 · Age 56
Chinese entrepreneur and computer engineer; founder, chairman & CEO of Xiaomi; chairman of Kingsoft and Shunwei Capital; longtime investor and philanthropist.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Xiantao, Hubei, China
Lei Jun was born in Xiantao, Hubei province. Both parents were teachers; childhood interest in electronics encouraged by his father.
Early electronics tinkering (childhood)
As a child Lei disassembled radios and built his first electric lamp using two batteries, a bulb and wires — early interest in electronics.
Graduated Hubei Provincial Mianyang High School
Completed high school and matriculated into Wuhan University.
Started Wuhan University (Computer Science)
Enrolled at Wuhan University to study computer science.
Early entrepreneurial ventures — 'Sanse'/student startups
Participated in early student-run businesses (described as 'Sanse' or similar ventures), selling computers/software; venture later wound down. (University-era startup experience.)
Published technical books and software projects (early career)
Authored technical works (e.g., Deep into DOS Programming / Deep into Windows Programming) and developed early tools (BITLOK encryption software, Immune 90 antivirus, RI memory tool).
Graduated Wuhan University (BSc, Computer Science)
Received a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in Computer Science from Wuhan University.
Joined Kingsoft as an engineer
Started working at Beijing-based software company Kingsoft as an early employee/engineer.
Became CEO / General Manager of Kingsoft
Rose through ranks at Kingsoft and became CEO/General Manager, leading transformation of product lines toward games, security and internet services.
Founded Joyo.com (online retail)
Created Joyo.com, an online retailing platform (a Kingsoft internal/entrepreneurial project that later attracted acquisition interest).
Sold Joyo.com to Amazon for US$75M
Amazon acquired Joyo.com (Lei's online retail venture) for approximately $75 million, providing him liquidity and credibility as an entrepreneur.
Invested US$1M in YY
Made an early investment of about $1 million in YY (social/live streaming company).
Led Kingsoft to Hong Kong IPO
Kingsoft listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2007; company raised nearly $100 million in its IPO (per Britannica).
Resigned as Kingsoft CEO (cited health reasons)
Stepped down as president and CEO of Kingsoft on 20 December 2007 for 'health reasons'.
Became chairman of UCWeb
Assumed the chairmanship of UCWeb, a mobile browser and mobile internet company, signaling active angel/VC activity.
Founded Xiaomi Corp.
Co-founded Xiaomi (April 2010) with partners including former Google executive Lin Bin; focused on smartphones, smart devices and an IoT ecosystem.
Launched MIUI firmware
Xiaomi released its MIUI Android-based firmware (a core product differentiator that helped build user community and brand).
Launched first Xiaomi smartphone (Mi 1)
Xiaomi introduced its first handset, the Mi 1, marking the company's entry into the smartphone market.
Co-founded Shunwei Capital (investment firm)
Co-founded Shunwei Capital, an investment vehicle focused on e‑commerce, mobile and internet startups.
Rejoined Kingsoft as chairman
Returned to Kingsoft in a leadership role as chairman on 7 July 2011.
YY IPO (investment pays off)
YY Inc. went public in 2012; Lei's earlier $1M investment grew to an estimated $129M valuation at IPO.
Elected deputy to Beijing Municipal People's Congress
Entered local political role as a deputy in Beijing's municipal congress.
Elected delegate to 12th National People's Congress
Elected as a delegate to the 12th NPC representing Guangdong Province (national-level political role).
Founded Beijing Xiaomi Payment Technology Co., Ltd.
Registered 'Beijing Xiaomi Payment Technology Co., Ltd.' with RMB 50 million registered capital; Lei was legal representative and chairman.
Named Forbes Asia Businessman of the Year
Received Businessman of the Year recognition from Forbes Asia for Xiaomi's performance and his leadership.
Xiaomi valuation soared; record online sales
By 2014 Xiaomi valuation exceeded $46B; in April 2014 sold 2.1M smartphones online in 12 hours; became world's #3 smartphone maker that year.
Named 'Businessman of the Year' by Forbes Asia
Awarded Businessman of the Year by Forbes Asia in recognition of Xiaomi's rapid rise and Lei's leadership.
Named to Time 100
Included in Time magazine's list of 100 most influential people.
Included in Time 100 list
Time magazine included Lei Jun in its annual '100 most influential people' list.
Reportedly donated over US$1 billion by 2017
By 2017 Lei had donated a cumulative total of around $1 billion to various charities (including education and disaster relief).
Recognized among innovation lists (2017)
Named among Global 100 Top Innovators (Thomson Reuters) and recognized domestically for contributions to the economy.
Elected to 13th National People's Congress (deputy)
Elected as a deputy to the 13th NPC (national political position).
Began IPO roadshow for Xiaomi (HKEX listing plans)
Xiaomi began its Hong Kong IPO roadshow; prospectus planned issuance of 2.18B shares at HKD 17–22, aiming to raise up to $6.1B and valuing company at roughly $54–69.7B.
Xiaomi listed on Hong Kong Stock Exchange
Lei Jun rang the gong as Xiaomi went public on HKEX (stock code 01810.HK); company became first HKEX listing under weighted voting rights; IPO raised about $3B (per some sources).
Recognized as 'Outstanding Builder of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics'
Received state recognition in 2019; later cited by US DoD as a reason to include Xiaomi on a list in Jan 2021 (subsequently disputed in court).
Xiaomi named to Fortune Global 500 (youngest company on list)
Xiaomi entered the Fortune Global 500 in 2019, becoming the youngest company on the list at that time.
Received Asia Game Changer / Fortune recognition (2019)
Received Asia Society's Asia Game Changer recognition and leadership award as Xiaomi joined Fortune Global 500.
Launched Xiaomi 10 series (entry into high-end phone market)
Xiaomi launched the Mi 10 series (Feb 2020), signaling a strategic shift toward higher-end devices focused on tech and quality.
Major philanthropic share donation (2021)
Donated Xiaomi shares valued at over $2.2B to charity as part of larger philanthropic program (Forbes coverage).
Donated over US$2.2 billion in Xiaomi shares to charity
In 2021 Lei donated Xiaomi shares valued at over $2.2 billion, reflecting large-scale philanthropic commitments.
Announced Xiaomi entry into smart electric vehicles; committed investment
Lei Jun announced Xiaomi's plan to enter the smart EV sector and stated he would personally lead the project and planned to invest US$10 billion over the next decade.
US Department of Defense blacklist citing ties; legal challenge follows
U.S. DoD added Xiaomi to a list citing its founder's recognition; Xiaomi challenged the designation in U.S. courts and obtained favorable rulings; removal followed after settlement.
U.S. agrees to remove Xiaomi from blacklist after lawsuit
Following litigation, the U.S. agreed to remove Xiaomi from the blacklist after reaching an agreement; restrictions were lifted in May 2021.
Listed among influential Chinese business leaders (various recognitions)
Featured in multiple lists (Forbes China Top 50, other domestic honors) for leadership and influence in tech and philanthropy.
Donated RMB 1.3 billion to Wuhan University (record gift)
On Wuhan University's 130th anniversary Lei donated RMB 1.3 billion (~US$182M), the largest individual gift to the university.
Xiaomi Mix Fold 3 (high-end foldable) sets sales records
Xiaomi's Mix Fold 3 (Aug 2023) achieved strong sales, demonstrating Xiaomi's competitiveness in foldable/high-end segment.
Re-elected delegate to 14th National People's Congress
In 2023 Lei Jun was re-elected to serve as a congressman/delegate to the 14th National People's Congress for the Beijing district.
Unveiled Xiaomi SU7 (first Xiaomi electric vehicle)
Lei personally hosted the launch of the Xiaomi SU7 EV in March 2024; the car emphasized high performance and smart features.
Xiaomi SU7 initial price and sales response reported
Reuters reported the SU7 starting price around RMB 215,900 (March 28, 2024); strong demand with pre-orders reported above 75k–100k in initial weeks.
Xiaomi locks in tens of thousands of SU7 orders
Reports indicated Xiaomi had locked in over 75,000 orders for the SU7 and targeted 10,000+ deliveries in June 2024.
Forbes estimates net worth at US$42.6 billion (May 2025)
Forbes estimated Lei Jun's net worth at US$42.6 billion in May 2025, ranking him 33rd worldwide.
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