Cryptocurrency titan, Changpeng Zhao, better known as CZ, has resurfaced among the top 30 in Forbes’ 2025 Billionaires list. Ranked at the 24th spot, CZ’s net worth is approximately $62.9 billion as of April 2025. The 48-year-old Canadian coder ranks 5th in the Crypto Rich List and began his journey building high-frequency trading systems for Wall Street’s flash boys.
At the top of the Forbes list sits Elon Musk, now worth around $342 billion, he is followed by Mark Zuckerberg with a net worth of $216 billion and Jeff Bezos a close 3rd at $215 billion. Despite these tech moguls ruling the roost, CZ stands alone among the top 30 as the only representative from the world of cryptocurrencies.
Based in Dubai, CZ co‑founded Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange, back in 2017. It is believed that CZ sold his Shanghai apartment to invest in bitcoin and launched Binance via an ICO. He still owns an estimated 90% of the exchange plus a stash of its BNB tokens. His wealth, however, reflects crypto’s volatility, peaking in 2022, dipping in 2023, and now rebounding to near $65 billion.
In 2023, CZ was entangled in serious legal issues with U.S. authorities for failing to maintain an effective anti-money laundering (AML) program at Binance. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) accused the exchange of allowing billions of dollars in transactions that violated U.S. sanctions, including dealings with individuals in Iran, North Korea, and other sanctioned regions. After pleading guilty, he was asked to step down as CEO of Binance, and he agreed to pay a $50 million fine. Binance was fined $4.3 billion, one of the largest corporate penalties in U.S. history.
In April 2024, a U.S. federal judge sentenced CZ to 4 months in prison, where he served his sentence and was released in September 2024. Today, CZ lends his expertise globally, and he serves as a strategic advisor to Pakistan’s Crypto Council and the Kyrgyz Republic’s digital assets initiative in early 2025.
As for the Forbes Billionaire List, 2025 has 3,028 billionaires, adding 247 more than a year ago. The U.S. has a record 902 billionaires, followed by China (516, including Hong Kong) and India (205). The billionaires on the list are worth $16.1 trillion in total, up nearly $2 trillion over 2024.
DISCLAIMER
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Readers are encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with professional advisors before engaging in any financial activities involving cryptocurrencies.