A "new battlefield" for two old rivals
Lei Jun and Zhou Hongyi, these two well-known names in the domestic science and technology industry, have always been old rivals. From the antivirus software war in the 90s of the last century to the battle for mobile phone operating systems, the two have always had a tense competitive relationship. Just when everyone thought that this pair of "old enemies" could finally fight peacefully, a new field pulled them back to the same track - new energy vehicles.
Lei Jun has led Xiaomi Auto into the research and development of new energy vehicles, and Zhou Hongyi has also invested in Nezha Automobile, an emerging electric vehicle company. The two are "reunited" again, and this time the battle will be held on the car track.
Looking back on the grievances and hatreds between the two, it is not difficult to find that their relationship can be traced back to more than 20 years ago. In the mid-90s, Lei Jun was already a legend in China's Internet industry, and Zhou Hongyi, who was still a young programmer at the time, admired Lei Jun. Later, due to the conflict of business interests, the relationship between the two gradually drifted apart.
The three wars were reconciled and then parted ways
The grievances and hatred between Lei Jun and Zhou Hongyi can be traced back to the mid-90s of the last century. At the time, Lei Jun was already a legend in China's Internet industry, while Zhou Hongyi was still an unknown young programmer. But he was such a young man, but later he met Lei Jun in many fields and staged a business war drama.
The second war took place in the field of antivirus software. In 1998, Zhou Hongyi founded Rising, a company that developed the world's first free antivirus software. At that time, this was regarded as a frontal impact on Lei Jun's Jinshan drug tyrant. The two sides started a years-long war for free antivirus software, and eventually Rising was acquired by Kingsoft.
The second war was in the field of mobile phone operating systems. In 2010, Lei Jun founded Xiaomi and launched the MIUI system based on the Android system. Zhou Hongyi launched the 360 mobile phone operating system in 2012. The two are facing off again in the mobile Internet market, and you come and go, and they are on a par.
Just when people thought that the contradiction between the two had been resolved, the news of their reconciliation was once reported. In 2014, Lei Jun even hugged Zhou Hongyi in public, and the two were described as "close friends" at the time. But this rapprochement did not last long, and the two sides soon faced off in new territory.
Behind the anecdotes is the harsh reality of business competition
In addition to the fierce competition on the commercial battlefield, there have also been some interesting vignettes and anecdotes between Lei Jun and Zhou Hongyi, which makes the relationship between the two more attention-grabbing.
For example, at a public event in 2014, Lei Jun "glared" at Zhou Hongyi, who was asleep, in front of the audience, and the scene was very embarrassing. This scene was photographed by netizens and widely circulated, and the two became the focus of heated discussions on the Internet at that time.
Another anecdote occurred in 2016, when Lei Jun was asked about his relationship with Zhou Hongyi in an interview, and he generously admitted: "Zhou Hongyi is my little fan brother." This remark is undoubtedly a joke, but it also reflects from the side that there is a subtle "master-apprentice" relationship between the two.
Behind these anecdotes, in fact, the two "collided" again and again in business competition. Whether it is in anti-virus software, mobile phone operating systems, or today's new energy vehicles, they are direct competitors. These seemingly interesting vignettes actually reflect the cruel reality of the business battlefield.