Binance founder Changpeng Zhao has joined the centibillionaire club with an estimated net worth of $110 billion, ranking 17th on the Forbes 2026 World’s Billionaires list.
Zhao’s wealth increased by roughly $47 billion over the past year, driven largely by the scale of Binance, which is estimated to be worth around $100 billion.
The exchange processes more than $30 trillion in annual spot and derivatives trading volume and holds roughly 38% of the global crypto market, with Zhao owning about 90% of the company.
Forbes estimates Binance generated approximately $16 billion to $17 billion in revenue across 2024 and 2025, significantly higher than the roughly $6.6 billion reported by US rival Coinbase.
Zhao now ranks ahead of several well-known financial figures including Bill Gates, Michael Bloomberg and hedge fund founder Ken Griffin.
However, Binance continues to face scrutiny over compliance issues, including reports that the company dismissed investigators who flagged around $1 billion in transactions linked to sanctioned Iranian entities.
The Forbes 2026 billionaire ranking also highlights a broader surge in tech and AI wealth, with a record 3,428 billionaires globally holding a combined $20.1 trillion in assets.