As of before Changpeng Zhao (CZ) resigned as CEO of Binance, his net worth fluctuated around $23 billion to $25 billion, with Bloomberg Billionaires Index estimating it at $23 billion. At that time, CZ was ranked as the 69th richest person in the world. It’s worth noting that this figure saw a decrease of nearly $500 million. This decline may be attributed to CZ’s resignation as CEO and his money laundering charges.
In late April 2023, Bloomberg estimated CZ’s net worth to be around $28 billion, ranking him as the third richest person globally in the financial sector. Notably, in June of the previous year, The Guardian, citing estimates from the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, reported that CZ’s net worth had decreased by over $75 billion since January, plummeting to $20.6 billion in just five months. By October of the same year, Business Insider reported CZ’s net worth as $30 billion.
In April of last year, Forbes estimated CZ’s wealth at $65 billion. Some industry analysts even speculated his net worth to be $200 billion. If this speculation were true, CZ could be the richest person in the world, surpassing Elon Musk and Vladimir Putin. Of course, CZ has consistently denied these figures, viewing them as a form of FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt) and questioning Bloomberg’s motivations.
In 2021, Zhao told the Associated Press that he intended to donate up to 99% of his wealth. His wealth primarily came from the success of Binance, a platform that has experienced exponential growth since its founding in 2017.