There are rumors that Zhao Changpeng, the former richest man in China and founder of Binance, is about to be released from prison. The reporter confirmed the news from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons.
It is reported that Zhao Changpeng controls most of Binance's shares. According to Forbes data, founder Zhao Changpeng owns 30% of Binance shares. At the end of 2021, against the backdrop of a surge in cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Zhao Changpeng became the richest Chinese with a net worth of US$94.1 billion (approximately RMB 634.8 billion), and also ranked among the top ten richest people in the world. However, six months later, virtual currencies such as Bitcoin plummeted, and Zhao Changpeng's wealth once shrank by more than 80% to US$17.4 billion.
In 2023, as the price of Bitcoin rebounded, Zhao Changpeng's wealth soared, far exceeding the fine that Binance agreed to pay to the US authorities. According to the "2024 Forbes Global Billionaires List" released on April 3 this year, Zhao Changpeng ranked 50th with a net worth of US$33 billion (approximately RMB 239 billion).
