Alibaba's Jack Ma among three billionaires to grab a slice of Xiaomi's IPO

The billionaire triumvirate join a group of big corporate names backing an IPO that could raise as much as $6.1 billion

China’s richest people are buying into Xiaomi Corp.’s imminent Hong Kong initial public offering, conferring their imprimatur on the world’s biggest coming-out party in two years.

Former CK Hutchison Holdings Ltd. Chairman Li Ka-shing, known in the former British colony as “superman” for his business acumen, plans to invest $30 million for an unknown slice of the Chinese smartphone maker, according to people familiar with the matter. Alibaba founder Jack Ma and Tencent Chairman Pony Ma -- the country’s two richest persons -- have also agreed to take stakes in Xiaomi, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing