People
Changpeng Zhao
Founder of Binance (no executive role at the company since November 2023)
Profile
Changpeng Zhao, widely known as CZ, is the founder and former chief executive of the cryptocurrency exchange Binance. In November 2023 he pleaded guilty in the United States to causing Binance to violate the Bank Secrecy Act by failing to maintain an effective anti-money laundering programme, and he stepped down as chief executive. He was sentenced in April 2024 to four months in prison and a $50 million fine, and was granted a presidential pardon by Donald Trump in October 2025.