China's Xiaomi has fired an executive accused of leaking company secrets, drawing attention. The dismissed executive is the public face of Xiaomi after Chair Lei Jun (雷军) and has high name recognition, and as his occasional "deviations" of dropping information on social media (SNS) escalated into what is the most sensitive security violation for big tech (large technology companies), Xiaomi is said to have taken the unusual step of dismissing a high-profile executive.
According to Chinese financial outlet Caixin on the 10th, Xiaomi Group's Ethics Committee announced via an internal email on the 8th that it had fired Wang Teng (王腾), who had overseen marketing in China, for "serious" disciplinary violations, including leaking secrets and conflicts of interest.
According to Caixin, Wang Teng, who also oversees the brand of Xiaomi's smartphone and electronics label "Redmi (REDMI)," built his career at Chinese smartphone and electronics makers such as Oppo (OPPO) and is an industry veteran who drew attention with a glittering résumé, including "ultra-fast promotions." He has 1.82 million followers on the local SNS Weibo (微博). Because he actively engaged with the public on SNS, he has been cited alongside Chair Lei Jun as a representative figure of Xiaomi.
On the 8th, when news of his dismissal broke, his name shot to No. 1 on real-time trends on Weibo, drawing buzz. That night, Wang Teng posted an apology on Weibo, saying, "I made some mistakes in the past, and I will accept the consequences. I thank Chair Lei Jun and many company leaders for nurturing me and trusting me over the years. I am very sorry to be leaving the company."
Meanwhile, because the specifics of Wang Teng's disciplinary violations have not been disclosed, various speculations are spreading. Claims include that he provided core data such as Xiaomi's car pricing strategy and costs to external institutions and received 1.87 million yuan (about 364.16 million won) in consulting fees, and allegations that he siphoned off confidential new products and, for a fee, gave them to IT bloggers to try out.
According to Chinese financial media such as Sina Finance, Xiaomi's internal probe found that on the 1st of this month, Wang Teng entered a confidential company area, a lab, and walked out carrying an "unregistered antistatic bag," which he handed to the editor-in-chief of an IT trade publication. The internal email reportedly stated that this act also constituted a conflict of interest. Sina Finance noted, "This suggests the possibility of obtaining improper benefits through inappropriate relationships with a media outlet or a competitor."
In response, on the 9th, Wang Teng said, "I did not sell company secrets, nor did I take money. There was, however, negligence in my duties, and I am deeply reflecting on that. But I did not commit any illegal acts at all." Xiaomi has not issued a separate statement.
According to Caixin, Wang Teng had previously received multiple warnings or fines for leaking secrets. In Aug. 2014, Chair Lei Jun even joked directly, "Xiaomi's security rules are very strict. But our 'Chief Teng (General Manager Wang Teng)' often leaks and gets fined." An anecdote from Oct. 2024 is also well known, in which, the day before the launch of the Xiaomi 15 smartphone series, a product manager gave him a T-shirt printed with "be cautious in words and deeds (谨言慎行)."
That said, observers say it is unusual for Xiaomi to fire a core manager at the executive level. According to local media, in past similar cases Xiaomi imposed internal warnings, demotions, or fines. Tech outlet 36Kr assessed, "Xiaomi is significantly expanding its business not only in home appliances and mobile phones but also in artificial intelligence (AI) and electric vehicles," adding, "Amid this, the unusual firing suggests Xiaomi is strengthening its security and compliance systems."