Once Handing Out Flyers on the Street and Being Ignored, Now Head of a Major Tech Company in China

Lei Jun, founder and chief executive of Xiaomi, is one of the most well-known figures in the global technology industry today. He successfully steered Xiaomi to become a formidable technology giant. Yet, before he achieved fame, the 56-year-old’s journey was anything but easy. Lei Jun once handed out flyers on the street at the early stage of building Xiaomi and was ignored by many he approached. Some people showed little interest in his offer, and a few even waved him away as he tried to engage them. The moment was captured in a video uploaded by the Instagram account @advicefromceo.s.

In the video, Lei Jun is seen wearing a black polo shirt and holding a large-screen gadget. Despite the rejection, Jun continued to solicit other visitors to participate in surveys, working alone without colleagues or a team.

One form of Lei Jun’s efforts to grow Xiaomi has now borne fruit. As Xiaomi expanded, his name rose with it. Once ignored, now all eyes are on him.

For instance, at the Asia Annual Conference 2025 held in Boao, China, at the end of March 2025, Lei Jun was walking through the event venue and attracted the attention of cameras around him. People also sought to approach Jun, but were kept at bay by the founder’s security detail. Even though he is already famous, one thing remains unchanged: the smile that often graces the face of the Hubei-born entrepreneur.

Lei Jun’s name has indeed become the focus of global attention. He is frequently juxtaposed with Apple’s legend Steve Jobs, and is often described as the “Steve Jobs of China.” The nickname linking Jun to the Apple co-founder arises from many factors, including his dress style, leadership approach, vision, and Xiaomi’s product strategy.

While the compliment is flattering, Jun, who admires the successful innovator, says he is uncomfortable with being continually likened to Jobs. This was revealed by Lei Jun in a lengthy post published on Xiaomi China’s official blog in October 2013.