Changpeng Zhao (CZ) has questioned his ranking in Forbes’ latest global rich list. This comes after the Forbes Billionaires Index annual list placed the founder of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance, ahead of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. In the publication’s 2026 billionaire list, Zhao, also known as CZ, was ranked 17th with an estimated net worth of $110 billion, largely tied to his stake in the cryptocurrency exchange Binance and other digital asset investments. Zhao disputed the calculation, pointing to the sharp decline in cryptocurrency prices this year. In a social media post, he said the estimate did not align with market trends and suggested that the ranking methodology should use ”some common sense and basic logic.”
Replying to a post on microblogging site X (formerly Twitter) that included a chart showing how CZ surpassed Bill Gates’ net worth, the Binance founder wrote,
Commenting on CZ’s post, one user wrote,
” Responding to this, CZ wrote:
What more did Binance founder CZ say about the Forbes global rich list ranking
In response to CZ’s comments, another user wrote,
Replying to this, CZ wrote:
The Forbes report noted that CZ’s
The report also noted that some of Zhao’s smaller holdings declined over the past 12 months. The value of his estimated 1,400 bitcoins also fell by about 25%, to roughly $100 million. However, the portion believed to represent a large share of the BNB tokens in circulation remained largely unchanged, the report added.
