Richer than Bill Gates: How Changpeng Zhao rose on the Forbes billionaires list

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How Changpeng Zhao rose on the Forbes billionaires list

How Zhao’s wealth grew so fast

The primary source of Changpeng Zhao's capital is his stake in Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume. By various estimates, the entrepreneur controls about 90% of the company.

Additionally, Zhao is linked to a large cache of BNB tokens used within the Binance ecosystem. Analysts suggest he may control around 64% of the circulating supply of this cryptocurrency, approximately 94 million tokens.

The rapid growth of his wealth was largely a consequence of the crypto market bull run in 2024–2025, when Bitcoin and other digital assets reached new all-time highs. The rising capitalization of the cryptocurrency market automatically increased the valuation of crypto exchanges.

Just a few years ago, Changpeng Zhao was not even in the top twenty richest people in the world. Today, he has become one of the wealthiest representatives of the crypto industry.

Why Zhao disagrees with the Forbes estimate

Despite the headline-grabbing figures, the Binance founder does not consider the valuation of his wealth to be correct.

In early 2026, the cryptocurrency market experienced a sharp decline. After peaking in the fall of 2025, Bitcoin lost over 50% of its value, and many altcoins dropped even more significantly.

In such a situation, according to Zhao, it is illogical to claim that his fortune has grown. Later, the entrepreneur added that even a superficial analysis of market dynamics indicates that such calculations can be far from reality.

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What is happening with Bill Gates' fortune

Bill Gates, who for many years was among the wealthiest people on the planet, is now gradually sliding down the Forbes ranking. According to recent estimates, his capital is approximately $108 billion, placing him 19th on the billionaires list.

The reason for this is not only the growth of wealth among new tech entrepreneurs. A significant role is played by Gates' charitable activities.

Over the past decades, the Microsoft co-founder has donated tens of billions of dollars to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the largest charitable foundations in the world. The organization funds global programs in healthcare, poverty reduction, and educational development.

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It is because of these massive donations that Gates is gradually losing his position in the rankings of the world's richest people.

How Binance changed the crypto industry

Changpeng Zhao founded Binance in 2017. In just a few years, the exchange turned into the largest cryptocurrency platform in the world and became key infrastructure for the global crypto market.

However, the company's development was also accompanied by serious issues with regulators.

In 2023, Zhao pleaded guilty to violating U.S. anti-money laundering laws. Binance agreed to pay a $4.3 billion fine, and the entrepreneur himself spent four months in prison.

Many analysts then assumed this would be the end of his career. However, the cryptocurrency market continued to grow, and Binance maintained its key positions in the industry.

A new generation of billionaires

Changpeng Zhao's story demonstrates how quickly the structure of global wealth is changing. While the Forbes ranking was previously topped by entrepreneurs from the industrial and technology sectors, representatives of the crypto industry are now appearing in it more frequently.

The growth of digital assets has created a new generation of billionaires whose wealth can change much faster than in traditional sectors. That is why valuations of such capital often remain speculative — and even their owners sometimes treat them with a large degree of skepticism.

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