Changpeng Zhao

Changpeng Zhao, known as CZ, is the founder of Binance, one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges, and was its chief executive until November 2023. Forbes valued him at $110 billion on its 2026 World’s Billionaires list, 17th in the world and the richest person in crypto, and at $107.7 billion on its real-time list on 28 June 2026 12.

How did Changpeng Zhao make his money?

Through Binance, which he co-founded in 2017. Forbes estimates he owns roughly 90% of the exchange, based on legal filings, and values Binance at around $100 billion. Binance is private, so the figure is an estimate. Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index put him lower, at about $78.2 billion in June 2026 12.

Early life and education

Zhao was born in 1977 in Jiangsu province, China, to parents who were both educators. His family emigrated to Vancouver, Canada, when he was 12. He studied computer science at McGill University in Montreal 56.

From trading software to Binance

He wrote trading software at a Tokyo Stock Exchange contractor, then spent four years at Bloomberg Tradebook building futures trading software. In 2005 he founded Fusion Systems in Shanghai, and he later worked on Blockchain.info and served as chief technology officer of OKCoin. He launched Binance in July 2017 with Yi He, and it raised $15 million in an initial coin offering 56. Read Changpeng Zhao’s companies.

Plea, sentence and pardon

In November 2023 Binance agreed to a $4.3 billion settlement with US authorities. Zhao pleaded guilty to violating US anti-money laundering rules, stepped down as chief executive and agreed to a $50 million fine, and Richard Teng became CEO 57. He was sentenced in April 2024 to four months in prison and was released on 27 September 2024, according to US Bureau of Prisons records 5. President Donald Trump pardoned him in October 2025 34.

Family and home

Zhao is based in Dubai and holds Canadian and UAE citizenship. Wikipedia reports a long-term partnership with Binance co-founder Yi He 5. See Changpeng Zhao’s family.

Changpeng Zhao net worth

Forbes put him at $110 billion on its 2026 list, about ₹10.3 lakh crore at ₹94 to the dollar, after he added about $47 billion in a year. He publicly questioned the estimate 18. See Changpeng Zhao net worth and our ranking of the top 50 richest people in the world.

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