Forbes Values Changpeng Zhao’s Wealth at $33 Billion

Co-founder and former CEO of Binance, Changpeng Zhao, has secured the 50th position in the new billionaire rankings by Forbes, with a fortune estimated at $33 billion.

The publication estimates that the entrepreneur’s wealth peaked in 2022 at $65 billion, before falling to $10.5 billion.

Bloomberg, in its own billionaire index, attributes assets worth $45.1 billion to Zhao. According to the agency, this figure has increased by $10.7 billion over the year.

By the end of 2023, Forbes counted 2,781 billionaires worldwide, marking a record high, as did their combined wealth of $14.2 trillion.

The United States remains the leader in terms of countries, with 813 individuals holding such fortunes (totaling $5.7 trillion). China (including Hong Kong) ranks second with 473 billionaires and $1.7 trillion, respectively.

Other representatives of the crypto industry also feature in the list. Co-founder and CEO of Coinbase, Brian Armstrong, is in 180th place with $11.2 billion.

The largest shareholders of the stablecoin issuer USDT — Tether — debuted in the rankings, including Giancarlo Devasini ($9.2 billion), Paolo Ardoino ($3.9 billion), Jean-Louis van der Velde ($3.9 billion), and Stuart Hoegner ($2.5 billion).

The publication counted a total of 17 cryptocurrency-related entrepreneurs with fortunes exceeding a billion dollars. Among them are:

• Ripple co-founders Chris Larsen ($3.2 billion) and Jed McCaleb ($2.9 billion);
• Gemini founders the Winklevoss twins (each $2.7 billion);
• Mike Novogratz ($2.5 billion);
• Michael Saylor ($4.4 billion) and others.

The smallest fortune among industry representatives in the Forbes ranking was attributed to Alchemy’s Web3 infrastructure platform co-founders Joe Lau and Nikil Viswanathan, each with $1.5 billion.

On April 30, the U.S. court is scheduled to sentence Changpeng Zhao on charges of money laundering.