LEI
Jun

• 1. Early life and education
• 2. Career

Lei Jun is a Chinese billionaire entrepreneur who founded Xiaomi, one of the largest smartphone and consumer electronics companies in the world that in June 2018 raised US$4.72 billion after its listing at the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. As of November 2021, Lei Jun's net worth was estimated at US$18.4 Billion, according to Bloomberg Billionaires Index, making him the 109th richest person in the world.

Early life and education

Lei Jun was born on 16 December 1969 in Xiantao, Hubei. In 1987, he graduated from Mianyang Middle School and began attending Wuhan University, where he completed all credits within two years and graduated with a BA in computer science. During his last year of college he started his first company.

Career

In 1992, Lei joined Kingsoft as an engineer, becoming the CEO of the company in 1998 and leading it towards an IPO. On 20 December 2007, he resigned as president and CEO of Kingsoft for "health reasons".

After resigning from Kingsoft, Lei became a prolific angel investor in China, investing in over 20 companies including Vancl.com, UCWeb, and social platform YY. He continues to invest in companies in the e-commerce, social networking, and mobile industries through Shunwei Capital, an investment company for which he was a founding partner.

In 2000, Lei founded Joyo.com, an online bookstore, which he sold for US$75 million to Amazon.com in 2004.

In 2008, he became a chairman of UCWeb.

In 2010, Lei Jun founded Xiaomi, a technology company that manufactures smartphones, mobile apps, and other consumer electronics. His cofounders include Lin Bin, vice president of the Google China Institute of Engineering, Zhou Guangping, senior director of the Motorola Beijing R&D center, Liu De, department chair of the Department of Industrial Design at the University of Science and Technology Beijing, Li Wanqiang, general manager of Kingsoft Dictionary, Wong Kong-Kat, principal development manager, and Hong Feng, senior product manager for Google China.

In 2011, he rejoined Kingsoft as chairman.

In 2013, Lei Jun was appointed a delegate of the National People's Congress.