Changpeng Zhao

Changpeng Zhao (Chinese: 赵长鹏; pinyin: Zhào Chángpéng; born 1977), commonly known as CZ, is a Chinese-born Canadian businessman who is known for co-founding the cryptocurrency company Binance. He has also served as CTO of OKCoin and CEO of Binance. According to Forbes, Zhao is the richest Canadian and the 17th-richest person in the world, with a net worth estimated at $111.1 billion as of April 2026. He resigned as the CEO of Binance in November 2023 after the U.S Department of Justice alleged he violated the Bank Secrecy Act and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four months in prison in April 2024. Zhao completed his sentence by September of the same year. In October 2025, Zhao was given a presidential pardon by President Donald Trump.

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