The native cryptocurrency of the Binance exchange, BNB, reached a new all-time high (ATH) of $844.17 this morning. Over the past two weeks, BNB has impressively grown by about 20%, marking the strongest surge in 2025.
Thanks to this rise, Changpeng Zhao (CZ), the former CEO of Binance, is reported to have surpassed billionaire Bill Gates, becoming one of the richest people in the world.
According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, CZ’s net worth is estimated at around $60 billion, based solely on his 90% stake in Binance, excluding the BNB he holds. Meanwhile, Forbes provides a higher figure, valuing CZ’s assets at $61 billion, with his Binance stake worth $33 billion. Forbes also revealed that last June, CZ owned as much as 94 million BNB, accounting for over 60% of the circulating supply of this token.
So, has CZ really surpassed Bill Gates? If we consider the market value of the 94 million BNB, those tokens are currently worth about $80 billion, not including the Bitcoin CZ purchased in 2013 for just $1,000. Adding his stake in Binance, CZ’s total assets could range from $110 billion to $136 billion, enough to surpass billionaires like Bill Gates ($124 billion) or Michael Dell ($136 billion).
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However, these are merely estimates. No one outside of Binance knows CZ’s true assets. Furthermore, the liquidity of BNB makes it challenging for him to sell the entire amount at the current price without causing market turmoil.
Nevertheless, the new record for BNB undeniably brings CZ back into the global financial spotlight. He has become a symbol of the strong resurgence of the cryptocurrency sector after a prolonged correction phase.
