Changpeng Zhao (CZ), born in 1977, is a Canadian businessman renowned as the co-founder and former CEO of Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange. After immigrating from China at age 12 and studying computer science, Zhao famously "went all in" on Bitcoin in 2013 by selling his apartment to invest entirely in the digital currency. He launched Binance in July 2017, quickly expanding its operations and amassing a personal net worth estimated at $88 billion by October 2025, ranking him among the world's richest. However, in November 2023, Zhao resigned as CEO after pleading guilty to enabling money laundering at Binance, receiving a four-month prison sentence in April 2024, which he completed by September. He was subsequently pardoned by President Trump on October 23, 2025.