AsianFin -- Xiaomi founder and CEO Lei Jun has updated his Weibo settings to only allow comments from followers who have been subscribed for more than 100 days, as he returns to social media following a period of silence triggered by recent crises surrounding the company’s new EV business.

On May 10, Lei resumed posting fitness updates on Weibo, writing: “The past month has been the most difficult time since I founded Xiaomi.” He revealed that during this period, he felt emotionally low, canceled meetings and travel plans, and paused all social media activity. “Reading the messages from many friends helped me gradually regain the courage and confidence to move forward,” he said.

Lei's comments come after a series of setbacks for Xiaomi’s electric vehicle arm. On March 29, a serious accident involving a Xiaomi SU7 standard edition sedan resulted in a fire that killed three people, triggering intense public scrutiny and backlash. Following the incident, Lei made only a brief appearance on social media during Xiaomi’s 15th anniversary on April 6 and then went silent again.

More recently, Xiaomi’s top-tier model, the SU7 Ultra, has come under fire for alleged false advertising. Hundreds of prospective buyers have demanded refunds, claiming that the expensive carbon-fiber dual-channel front hood—offered as an optional upgrade—was misrepresented in promotional materials.

On May 7, Xiaomi EV issued a public apology and announced a compensation plan. However, many customers found the offer unsatisfactory and have since launched efforts to return the cars without penalty. According to sources cited by Yicai, over 300 SU7 Ultra buyers have formed an online group to coordinate their refund claims.