Xiaomi fires staff over fan backlash from controversial influencer deal

Following a severe backlash from its fanbase, Xiaomi has fired the employees responsible for and penalised senior executives over a planned partnership with a controversial tech influencer. The influencer, known as "萬能的大熊", has a history of publicly insulting Xiaomi users.

According to reports from Chinese media, including Sino Finance, Xiaomi’s PR team had planned an annual collaboration framework with the influencer. This decision sparked immediate outrage, as the influencer has long expressed views hostile to the brand and its community.

In a statement on its official Weibo account, a Xiaomi spokesperson announced that the company had launched a special investigation. Upon reaching a preliminary conclusion, Xiaomi decided to terminate all contact with the influencer and pledged no future collaborations.

Furthermore, Xiaomi said that the incident severely harmed the feelings of its fans, leading to significant accountability measures. The responsible personnel involved in the incident have been terminated. Meanwhile, the group’s vice president, Xu Fei, as well as Xu Jieyun, were both criticised and had their bonuses and performance incentives for 2025 revoked.

"We deeply understand that all of Xiaomi's achievements today stem from the unwavering support of our fans. We apologise once again and welcome everyone to continue monitoring us,” the statement reads. 

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Xiaomi for a statement.

The influencer in question, a self-media personality in automotive, digital, and eCommerce with over 2.57 million Weibo followers, is a primary adversary of Xiaomi's core users. He has previously made controversial statements such as, "Xiaomi won't die; it's the fans who will."

The crisis escalated on 5 January when the influencer claimed in a group chat that "Xiaomi funded me" (小米投了我). This assertion drew significant public attention, prompting Xiaomi's loyal "Mi Fans" to flood the Weibo accounts of executives Xu Fei and Xu Jieyun with protests, accusing the company of betraying its users.

Following Xiaomi's public apology, the influencer involved described the situation as "a regrettable ending."

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