Early Life
Lei Jun was born on December 16, 1969, in Xiantao, Hubei, China. Growing up in a modest household, his parents were teachers. Lei's early fascination with electronics, encouraged by his father, led him to disassemble and reassemble radios. He demonstrated his aptitude early on, constructing the village's first electric lamp. In 1987, he graduated from Hubei Provincial Mianyang High School and subsequently attended Wuhan University, completing his Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science in 1991.
Rise to Success
Lei Jun's career began in 1992 when he joined Kingsoft as an engineer. He rapidly ascended within the company, becoming CEO in 1998. Under his leadership, Kingsoft went public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2007. However, in 2007, Lei resigned from Kingsoft and then became a chairman of UCWeb in 2008. Lei then founded Xiaomi in April 2010 with multiple partners. The company's first product, the MIUI firmware, gained popularity, paving the way for Xiaomi's first smartphone release in 2011. Xiaomi has since expanded into various consumer electronics and smart vehicles. Lei Jun has also shown significant skill as an angel investor, with numerous successful investments in various technology companies.
Key Business Strategies
Lei Jun's strategy for Xiaomi focuses on creating high-quality products at accessible prices. He has also emphasized a direct-to-consumer sales model, cutting out intermediaries to reduce costs. This approach, combined with a focus on software development and user engagement, has fueled Xiaomi's rapid global expansion. Xiaomi's success has made it one of the youngest companies on the Fortune Global 500 list, and a leader in the smartphone and consumer electronics industries.
Philanthropy
Lei Jun is involved in philanthropy, and has been noted for his charitable donations. His largest contribution was in 2023 when he donated 1.3 billion yuan ($182.5 million) to Wuhan University. He has also donated to various causes, including education and disaster relief.