Co-founder and chief executive of Xiaomi, the Chinese technology giant he helped start in 2010. He earned a Guinness World Record for selling 2.1m smartphones online in 24 hours. He attended Wuhan University—a connection that reportedly boosted interest in the institution.
Mr Lei took personal control of Xiaomi's electric-vehicle project, unlike Apple's Tim Cook, who delegated his firm's ultimately abandoned car effort. He enjoys a cult following in China, and Xiaomi's marketing strategy relies heavily on it: devoted "Mi Fans" collect company memorabilia and race to get their hands on every new product. He has said he expects Xiaomi's EV division to become profitable in 2025.
The light at the end of the tunnel is the headlight of an approaching train.