Lei Jun resigns as Chairman of Kingsoft Cloud: Focused on the critical period of car manufacturing, giving old colleagues space to show their worth

In the internet industry, when it comes to busyness, Lei Jun is a prime example. Recently, this entrepreneur, known for his “model worker” image, has once again become the focus of public opinion due to his resignation from an important position at Kingsoft Cloud.

On the evening of March 25, Kingsoft Cloud announced that Lei Jun resigned from the company’s non-executive director position due to other work commitments, effective March 25, 2026. The announcement also clarified that after his resignation, Lei Jun would no longer serve as chairman, chairman of the board’s nomination committee, or a member of the board’s compensation committee. This news quickly sparked heated discussions among netizens, with some joking, “If Lei doesn’t resign, who would even know there’s Kingsoft Cloud!”

In fact, Lei Jun has deep ties with Kingsoft Cloud. When Kingsoft Cloud was established in 2012, Lei Jun served as a non-executive director, and in 2015, he directly became chairman. Over the years, he has played an important role in the development of Kingsoft Cloud, earning the title of the “stabilizing force” of the Kingsoft system.

Lei Jun’s sudden resignation, with the announcement’s brief mention of “due to other work commitments,” is concise yet meaningful. Given the current situation, the outside world generally believes this is closely related to the development of Xiaomi’s automotive business. Currently, Xiaomi’s automotive division is at a critical stage of mass production and delivery. Since the debut of the SU7, Lei Jun has been fully engaged, frequently appearing in the public eye and personally participating in the supervision of factory production lines and the planning of user delivery events.

After Lei Jun’s resignation, his successor at Kingsoft Cloud will be Vice Chairman Zou Tao. Zou is a “veteran of Kingsoft,” having joined Kingsoft Software in 1998 and fought alongside Qiu Bojun and Lei Jun for many years. Since August 2022, he has been serving as the acting CEO, and his transition from “acting” to official chairman seems quite natural.

It is worth mentioning that the timing of Lei Jun’s resignation is quite subtle. Just a day before the announcement, Kingsoft Cloud released its latest financial report. The data showed that Kingsoft Cloud’s revenue last year was 9.56 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 22.8%, and its net loss significantly narrowed from 1.979 billion yuan in 2024 to 943 million yuan. Choosing to step back under improving business conditions and shrinking losses not only provides space for his old subordinates to shine but also avoids turmoil within the company due to senior management changes, achieving a win-win situation.

However, Lei Jun has not completely left the Kingsoft system. He still retains his positions as a non-executive director and chairman of Kingsoft Software’s board, continuing to contribute to Kingsoft’s development.

Lei Jun’s resignation from Kingsoft Cloud is merely an adjustment in his busy schedule. As netizens have said: “This is not a resignation; it’s a free headline for Kingsoft Cloud, while also telling the world: I’m going all in on car manufacturing, so don’t stop me!”