Microsoft vs Xiaomi: Founders, CEOs and History
Microsoft was founded in 1975 by Bill Gates, Paul Allen and is led by Satya Nadella. Xiaomi was founded in 2010 by Lei Jun, Lin Bin and is led by Lei Jun.
Company facts
Founders
Microsoft
Bill Gates
Microsoft was founded in 1975 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, childhood friends from Seattle who had spent their teenage years finding ways to get free time on mainframe computers.
Paul Allen
Paul Allen co-founded Microsoft and was crucial to its earliest technical and strategic decisions. He helped develop Altair BASIC, gave the company its original name, and participated in the operating-system opportunity that led to MS-DOS.
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
Microsoft
- Bill Gates1975–2000
Co-founder and CEO
Gates built Microsoft's licensing model: software sold to many hardware makers rather than tied to one.
Source - Steve Ballmer2000–2014
CEO
Ballmer grew revenue from about $23 billion in FY2000 to about $78 billion in FY2013 and built the enterprise server and sales business that Azure later scaled on.
Source - Satya Nadella2014–present
Chairman and CEO
Nadella made Azure and Microsoft 365 the company's core, opened Microsoft to Linux and open source, and positioned it early in generative AI through OpenAI.
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: Microsoft and Xiaomi side by side
1975Microsoft
Microsoft Founded
Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft after recognizing that the Altair 8800 needed usable programming software. Their first product, Altair BASIC, turned a hobbyist computer kit into a programmable platform.
1981Microsoft
MS-DOS Ships With IBM PC
IBM introduced its personal computer with MS-DOS 1.0 and other Microsoft products. The milestone mattered because Microsoft's operating-system work moved from a small software supplier's project into the emerging corporate PC standard.
1985Microsoft
Windows Launch
The release of Windows 1.0 began Microsoft's long move from command-line operating systems to graphical personal computing. The first version was not an instant blockbuster, but it gave Microsoft a user-interface path that could evolve with PC hardware.
1986Microsoft
Microsoft IPO
Microsoft went public on the Nasdaq in March 1986.
1990Microsoft
Office Suite Release
The bundling of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint into Microsoft Office created a productivity suite that became central to business work. The bundle simplified enterprise purchasing and made file compatibility a competitive weapon.
1995Microsoft
Windows 95 Released
Microsoft released Windows 95 in August 1995.
1998Microsoft
U.S. Antitrust Case
The U.S. Department of Justice accused Microsoft of using Windows power to suppress browser competition. The case mattered because it placed Microsoft's platform tactics under public and legal scrutiny at the height of its PC strong position.
2010Microsoft
Azure Commercial Launch
Azure gave Microsoft a way to compete in cloud infrastructure as enterprise customers began shifting workloads away from company-owned servers.
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.
2014Microsoft
Satya Nadella CEO
Satya Nadella became CEO and moved Microsoft away from a strategy that forced every product to serve Windows. He prioritized Azure, Microsoft 365, open source, Linux support, cross-platform software, and a more collaborative developer posture.
2014Xiaomi
India Entry and $45B Valuation
Xiaomi enters India and raises funding at a reported $45B valuation.
2016Microsoft
LinkedIn Acquisition
Microsoft agreed to acquire LinkedIn in 2016 for $26.2 billion in cash. The deal mattered because it added a professional identity network to a company already strong in Office, Dynamics, cloud services, recruiting tools, advertising, and enterprise sales.
2018Microsoft
GitHub Acquisition
Microsoft acquired GitHub for $7.5 billion in stock, reversing years of developer skepticism toward the company. The acquisition placed Microsoft inside the daily workflow of software developers across languages, clouds, and operating systems.
2018Xiaomi
Hong Kong IPO
Xiaomi lists on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under stock code 1810 with a weighted voting rights structure.
2021Xiaomi
EV Entry Announced
Xiaomi announces it will build electric vehicles and sets up a dedicated EV subsidiary.
2021Xiaomi
Acquired DeepMotion
Xiaomi acquired DeepMotion for $77 million. Autonomous-driving technology company acquired to support Xiaomi's EV program.
2023Microsoft
AI Leadership
Microsoft's expanded OpenAI partnership and Copilot product rollout placed the company at the center of enterprise generative AI adoption.
2023Microsoft
Activision Blizzard Acquisition Closes
Microsoft completed the Activision Blizzard acquisition after intense regulatory review. The deal added Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Diablo, Overwatch, Candy Crush, and other franchises to Microsoft Gaming.
2024Xiaomi
SU7 Launch
Xiaomi launches the SU7 electric sedan in March 2024 and begins deliveries.
2025Xiaomi
Record Year and YU7 Launch
Xiaomi launches the YU7 SUV, delivers 411,082 vehicles, and reports FY2025 revenue of ~$63.6B (RMB457.3B).
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
Microsoft
- Activision Blizzard2023$68.7B
- Nuance Communications2022$19.7B
- ZeniMax Media2021$7.5B
- GitHub2018$7.5B
- LinkedIn2016$26.2B
Questions about Microsoft vs Xiaomi
Who is the CEO of Microsoft Corporation and Xiaomi Corp.?
Microsoft Corporation is led by Satya Nadella 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 Microsoft Corporation founded vs Xiaomi Corp.?
Microsoft Corporation was founded in 1975 — 35 years before Xiaomi Corp., which was founded in 2010. Microsoft Corporation'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 Microsoft Corporation have compared to Xiaomi Corp.?
Microsoft Corporation employs approximately 223,000 people, while Xiaomi Corp. employs approximately 56,531. Microsoft Corporation has the larger workforce at 223,000 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 Microsoft Corporation and Xiaomi Corp. headquartered?
Microsoft Corporation is headquartered in United States and Xiaomi Corp. is headquartered in China. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Microsoft Corporation and Xiaomi Corp.?
Microsoft Corporation was founded by Bill Gates, Paul Allen. Xiaomi Corp. was founded by Lei Jun, Lin Bin.
Which company has a longer operating history — Microsoft Corporation or Xiaomi Corp.?
Microsoft Corporation has been operating for approximately 51 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 Microsoft vs Xiaomi overview