Lei Jun
Lei Jun | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 16, 1969 Xiantao, Hubei, China |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, computer engineer |
| Known for | Founder, chairman, and CEO of Xiaomi; chairman of Kingsoft and Shunwei Capital |
Lei Jun (born December 16, 1969) is a prominent Chinese billionaire entrepreneur and computer engineer recognized primarily as the founder, chairman, and CEO of the consumer electronics giant Xiaomi. In addition to Xiaomi, he holds leadership roles as chairman of both Kingsoft and Shunwei Capital. Since 2013, Lei has been serving as a delegate in the National People's Congress.
By May 2025, Forbes estimated Lei's personal wealth at approximately US$42.6 billion, positioning him as the 33rd richest individual worldwide.
Early life and education
Lei was born in Xiantao, located in Hubei, China. His parents were educators, with his father earning a modest monthly salary of $7. From early childhood, Lei demonstrated a fascination with electronics, frequently taking apart radios—a pastime his father supported. Using simple materials, he constructed the first electric lamp in his village.
He completed his secondary education at Hubei Provincial Mianyang High School in 1987 before earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Wuhan University in 1991.
Career
Lei began his professional journey at Kingsoft in 1992 as an engineer. He rose to become CEO by 1998 and successfully led the company through its 2007 initial public offering on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Later that year, he stepped down citing "health reasons."
In 2000, Lei launched joyo.com, an e-commerce platform which was acquired by Amazon.com for US$75 million in 2004. He invested $1 million into YY in 2005; following its IPO in 2012, YY's value soared to $129 million. Additionally, Lei took on the role of chairman at UCWeb starting in 2008.
In 2010, Lei co-established Xiaomi alongside partners including former Google executive Lin Bin. The following year, he founded Shunwei Capital (), focusing investments on e-commerce, social media, and mobile technology sectors. That same year marked his return as chairman of Kingsoft.
Politically, Lei was elected deputy to the Beijing Municipal People’s Congress in 2012 and then became a delegate to the 12th National People’s Congress representing Guangdong Province in 2013. On December 26, 2013, he founded Beijing Xiaomi Payment Technology Co., Ltd., assuming the chairman position.
He secured re-election as deputy to the 13th National People’s Congress in 2018. In June of that year, Xiaomi initiated its Hong Kong IPO roadshow aiming to raise up to $6.1 billion USD with a valuation estimated between $53.9 billion and $69.7 billion USD. On July 9, 2018, Lei symbolically opened trading by ringing the gong at Xiaomi’s HKEX debut—the first firm listed under the “weighted voting rights” framework.
Xiaomi became the youngest entrant into the Fortune Global 500 list in 2019. The company pivoted towards high-end devices with the release of the Xiaomi 10 series in 2020.
In March 2021, Lei revealed Xiaomi’s strategic move into smart electric vehicles, personally spearheading a $10 billion investment plan spanning ten years. By March 2024, Xiaomi launched its inaugural EV model, the Xiaomi SU7, highlighting advanced performance and intelligent features. The debut generated significant market enthusiasm with pre-orders exceeding 100,000 units—marking a robust beginning for Lei’s automotive vision.
Politics
Lei was elected as a delegate to the 12th National People's Congress for Guangdong Province in 2013 and subsequently served as a congressman representing Beijing during both the 13th National People's Congress (2018) and 14th National People's Congress (2023).
Philanthropic Endeavors
By the year 2017, Lei had contributed a total of $1 billion to various charitable causes, starting with an initial donation of ¥140,000 in 1997 to his alma mater, Wuhan University. His charitable activities encompassed support for Zhuhai Charity, assistance to migrant schools, renovation projects in villages within Yangchun, aid following the 2013 Lushan earthquake, and involvement in the Ice Bucket Challenge to raise awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. In 2021, he furthered his philanthropic impact by gifting Xiaomi shares valued at more than $2.2 billion to charitable organizations.
In 2023, Lei made a historic contribution of 1.3 billion yuan (approximately $182 million) to Wuhan University. This donation stands as the largest individual endowment ever received by the university, underscoring his sustained dedication to advancing education and social welfare.
Personal Life
Lei is married to Zhang Tong (张彤), and together they have two children.
Honors and Accolades
In 2014, Lei earned the title of Businessman of the Year from Forbes. The following year, he was recognized among the Time 100 most influential people.
In 2019, Lei was honored with the designation "Outstanding Builder of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics" (). This accolade played a role in Xiaomi Corporation being listed by the U.S. Department of Defense in January 2021 as a company supporting China’s military. Nevertheless, a federal court in the United States subsequently issued an injunction against this listing, leading to Xiaomi’s removal from the blacklist after reaching an agreement with the U.S. government.