Electronic and magnetic structures of the spinel-type lithium–manganese oxides LixMn2O4, x=0,0.5,1, are studied ab initio by employing a full-potential LMTO method. The effect of the orthorhombic distortion on electronic structure and magnetism of LiMn2O4 was investigated, and our calculations do not show a substantial charge ordering at the structural transition from the cubic spinel to the orthorhombic structure.