The man of mystery opens up

At an internal conference in March, Ren reiterated Huawei, a privately held company, would not seek a public listing for at least a decade. Previously, Ren explained to AEA Investors Chairman Vincent Mai and US business leaders at a New York lunch that technology companies such as his were driven by talented people. If Huawei lists too early it will create many millionaires which would damage people's passion for work, he said.

Ren also said he has only four family members working at Huawei and they will never be his successors. It requires many capabilities such as vision to become Huawei's leader but they lack this requirement, Ren said.

When he finally attempted to dismiss the air of mystery that surrounds him, Ren even talked about his retirement. He said he would open a bottle of champagne at the time.

"Maybe I will open a cafe or a restaurant and have a farm," he was quoted as saying. He didn't disclose a specific date but said it depends whether Huawei still needs him.