Huawei vs Xiaomi: Founders, CEOs and History
Huawei was founded in 1987 by Ren Zhengfei and is led by Ren Zhengfei. Xiaomi was founded in 2010 by Lei Jun, Lin Bin and is led by Lei Jun.
Company facts
Founders
Huawei
Ren Zhengfei
Ren Zhengfei is an incredibly powerful Chinese business magnate and the profoundly influential founding architect fundamentally responsible for building the massive Huawei Technologies empire.
Xiaomi
Lei Jun
Lei Jun founded Xiaomi in 2010 and is its chairman and CEO. He set the company's early strategy of selling well-specified phones online at low prices, built the MIUI user community, and later led Xiaomi's 2018 Hong Kong listing.
Lin Bin
Lin Bin co-founded Xiaomi in 2010 and served as its president, overseeing early phone development and supply-chain relationships. He handed the president role to others in 2019 and continued as vice chairman of the board.
CEOs and their tenures
Huawei
- Ren Zhengfei1988–present
Director and Chief Executive Officer
Huawei describes a collective governance model in which the board is the highest body responsible for corporate strategy and operations and rotating chairs lead the board for six-month terms.
Source - Sun Yafang1999–2018
Chairwoman
Sun Yafang served as Chairwoman of Huawei from 1999 to 2018. She played a pivotal role in establishing Huawei's human resources and marketing departments, establishing international partnerships, and serving as the key public representative of the company glob…
Source - Xu Zhijun (Eric Xu)2011–present
Deputy Chairman and Rotating Chairman
Long-serving rotating chair who has fronted Huawei's Ascend AI computing roadmap.
Source - Sabrina Meng (Meng Wanzhou)2023–present
Deputy Chairwoman, Rotating Chair, and CFO
Huawei CFO and Ren Zhengfei's daughter; became a rotating chair in 2023.
Source - David Wang (Wang Tao)2026–present
Deputy Chairman and Rotating Chairman
Previously led Huawei's ICT infrastructure business.
Source
Xiaomi
- Lei Jun2010–present
Founder, Chairman and CEO
Sets Xiaomi's product and ecosystem strategy and leads the EV business.
Source - Lin Bin2010–present
Co-founder and Vice Chairman
Co-founded Xiaomi with Lei Jun and served as president during its early growth before moving to the vice chairman role.
Source - Lu Weibing2022–present
President
Runs day-to-day operations of the group, having earlier led the Redmi brand and international business.
Source
Timeline: Huawei and Xiaomi side by side
1987Huawei
Huawei Founded
Ren Zhengfei founded Huawei in Shenzhen, initially selling telecommunications switches before investing in proprietary products.
1993Huawei
C&C08 Digital Switch
Huawei launched the C&C08 digital switch, giving the company a proprietary telecom product and a path beyond resale.
2004Huawei
HiSilicon Established
Huawei established HiSilicon as an internal chip-design capability, a decision that later became critical under semiconductor export controls.
2010Xiaomi
Xiaomi Founded
Lei Jun and seven co-founders establish Xiaomi in Beijing and release the MIUI Android software.
2011Xiaomi
Mi 1 Launches
Xiaomi launches its first smartphone, sold online.
2014Xiaomi
India Entry and $45B Valuation
Xiaomi enters India and raises funding at a reported $45B valuation.
2018Xiaomi
Hong Kong IPO
Xiaomi lists on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under stock code 1810 with a weighted voting rights structure.
2019Huawei
U.S. Entity List Restrictions
The U.S. Department of Commerce placed Huawei on the Entity List, restricting access to certain U.S. technologies and reshaping Huawei's supply-chain strategy.
2021Xiaomi
EV Entry Announced
Xiaomi announces it will build electric vehicles and sets up a dedicated EV subsidiary.
2023Huawei
Mate 60 and Domestic Chip Comeback
Huawei's Mate 60 launch signaled a consumer-device comeback in China and drew attention to its domestic semiconductor and software substitution strategy.
2024Xiaomi
SU7 Launch
Xiaomi launches the SU7 electric sedan in March 2024 and begins deliveries.
2025Huawei
~$122B (CNY 880.9B) 2025 Revenue
Huawei reported ~$122B (CNY 880.9B) in 2025 revenue (+2.2%), ~$9.45B (CNY 68.0B) in net profit, and ~$26.7B (CNY 192.3B) in R&D spending.
2025Xiaomi
Record Year and YU7 Launch
Xiaomi launches the YU7 SUV, delivers 411,082 vehicles, and reports FY2025 revenue of ~$63.6B (RMB457.3B).
2026Huawei
Eric Xu Begins Rotating-Chair Term
Eric Xu became Rotating and Acting Chairman for October 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027, after David Wang's first term from April to September 2026.
2026Xiaomi
Memory Costs Hit Profit
Q1 revenue falls 10.9% to ~$13.8B (RMB99.1B) and Q2 revenue falls 6.1% to ~$15.1B (RMB108.9B) as memory-chip costs squeeze margins.
Acquisitions
Huawei
- Neul2014Undisclosed
- Huawei Symantec (Joint Venture Buyout)2012Undisclosed
Questions about Huawei vs Xiaomi
Who is the CEO of Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. and Xiaomi Corp.?
Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. is led by Ren Zhengfei and Xiaomi Corp. is led by Lei Jun. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. founded vs Xiaomi Corp.?
Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. was founded in 1987 — 23 years before Xiaomi Corp., which was founded in 2010. Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Xiaomi Corp..
How many employees does Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. have compared to Xiaomi Corp.?
Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. employs approximately 213,000 people, while Xiaomi Corp. employs approximately 56,531. Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. has the larger workforce at 213,000 employees, compared to Xiaomi Corp.'s 56,531. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. and Xiaomi Corp. headquartered?
Both Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. and Xiaomi Corp. are headquartered in China, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. and Xiaomi Corp.?
Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. was founded by Ren Zhengfei. Xiaomi Corp. was founded by Lei Jun, Lin Bin.
Which company has a longer operating history — Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. or Xiaomi Corp.?
Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. has been operating for approximately 39 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Xiaomi Corp. has been in operation for around 16 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Huawei vs Xiaomi overview