Hemiunu was the son of Prince Neferma'at and Princess Atet. He was the nephew of Khufu and served him as a vizier and royal seal bearer. It appears that he is responsible for building Khufu's pyramid at Giza. He placed his own tomb at the base of the pyramid. He was held in such high esteem, that he is the only private person during Khufu's reign that was allowed to have a statue in his tomb. This statue is in Hildesheim, West Germany. He is shown as a heavy-set man and robust, which was a sign of his prosperity. He had a hand in the reburial of Khufu's mother, Queen Hetepheres, when it was discovered that her grave had been robbed.