Changpeng Zhao Net Worth

Changpeng Zhao has an estimated net worth of $115 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Changpeng Zhao profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is up from $1.4 billion in 2018.

Changpeng Zhao, often called CZ, is a Canadian businessman best known for co-founding Binance. He studied computer science at McGill University, then built trading software in Tokyo and later at Bloomberg Tradebook. In 2005, he started Fusion Systems in Shanghai, a company known for fast automated trading platforms for stockbrokers. He later worked on crypto projects, including Blockchain.info, and also served as chief technology officer of OKCoin.

His biggest career move came in 2017, when he founded Binance. The exchange raised $15 million in an initial coin offering and quickly became the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume. Zhao also launched Binance Coin in 2017 and later expanded the business with Binance Smart Chain in 2019. Forbes said his wealth reached $115 billion on its real-time billionaires tracker in October 2026, showing how closely his fortune is tied to Binance and BNB.

How Changpeng Zhao built his fortune

Zhao's wealth comes mainly from Binance, the crypto exchange he founded in 2017. Forbes says he still owns an estimated 90% of the company, along with a stash of BNB tokens. That makes his fortune closely tied to the size and activity of the Binance platform. Binance grew quickly after launch, helped by heavy trading volume and its broad lineup of crypto products, including its exchange business and token ecosystem.

Before Binance, Zhao built technical skills in market software and high-frequency trading. He worked on trade-matching systems in Tokyo, then developed futures trading software at Bloomberg Tradebook. In Shanghai, he launched Fusion Systems, his first startup. He also joined Blockchain.info as head of development and later became CTO of OKCoin. Those roles gave him experience in trading systems and crypto infrastructure before Binance became his main business.

Forbes net worth timeline

Forbes first put Zhao on its World's Billionaires List at $1.4 billion in 2018, then $1.2 billion in 2019. By 2021, Forbes estimated him at $1.9 billion. The next year brought a huge jump to $65 billion. Forbes ties his fortune to his ownership stake in Binance and his BNB holdings, so swings in crypto markets and exchange activity can have a big effect on the estimate from year to year.

The estimate then moved down to $10.5 billion in 2023 before rising to $33 billion in 2024 and $62.9 billion in 2025. On the 2026 World's Billionaires List, Forbes placed him at $110 billion. As of October 20, 2026, Forbes' real-time billionaires tracker put him at $115 billion. Across the timeline, the biggest driver appears to be Binance's scale and Zhao's large ownership position in the business.