Once Ignored During Street Outreach, Now a Tech Titan in China

Who doesn’t know Lei Jun now? Lei Jun, founder and CEO of Xiaomi, is one of the most renowned figures in the global technology industry. He successfully propelled Xiaomi to become a formidable tech giant. However, before achieving his current fame, the 56-year-old faced a tough struggle. Lei Jun once went door-to-door distributing brochures when starting Xiaomi, but was ignored. People he approached showed little interest in his offer. Some even waved him off with a hand gesture, a sign of rejection. This moment was captured in a video uploaded by the @advicefromceo.s account on Instagram. In the video, Lei Jun is seen wearing a black polo shirt while holding a large-screen gadget. Despite the rejections, he continued to approach other passersby for surveys, alone without any team members. This perseverance in building Xiaomi has now paid off. As Xiaomi grew, so did Lei Jun’s prominence. Once ignored, he is now the centre of attention. For instance, at the Asia Annual Conference 2025 held in Boao, China, in late March 2025, Lei Jun walking through the venue drew camera attention from those around him. People tried to approach him but were held back by Xiaomi’s security. Despite his fame, his smile remains unchanged, as he hails from Hubei, China. Lei Jun is now a global figure, often compared to Apple’s legend Steve Jobs, earning the nickname ‘China’s Steve Jobs’. This comparison stems from his attire, leadership style, vision, and Xiaomi’s product approach. Although seen as praise, Lei Jun, who admires successful innovators, feels uncomfortable being constantly linked to Jobs. This was revealed in a lengthy post on Xiaomi China’s official blog in October 2013.