Changpeng Zhao (CZ) has questioned his ranking in Forbes’ latest global rich list. This comes after the Forbes Billionaires Index annual list placed the founder of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Binance, ahead of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. In the publication’s 2026 billionaire list, Zhao, also known as CZ, was ranked 17th with an estimated net worth of $110 billion, largely tied to his stake in the cryptocurrency exchange Binance and other digital asset investments. Zhao disputed the calculation, pointing to the sharp decline in cryptocurrency prices this year. In a social media post, he said the estimate did not align with market trends and suggested that the ranking methodology should use ”some common sense and basic logic.”Replying to a post on microblogging site X (formerly Twitter) that included a chart showing how CZ surpassed Bill Gates’ net worth, the Binance founder wrote, “Didn’t read the Forbes article, but if you just look at the little chart 👇, you know it’s wrong. Crypto prices dropped by more than 50% in 2026 already. And my net worth went up? 🤷♂️Wish they can apply some common sense and basic logic.”
Commenting on CZ’s post, one user wrote, “From all the shorts during 10/10 makes sense.” Responding to this, CZ wrote: “Never shorted.”
What more did Binance founder CZ say about the Forbes global rich list ranking
In response to CZ’s comments, another user wrote, “It’s often said in Chinese culture that “wealth shouldn’t be flaunted,” and CZ’s comments are quite conservative 😂”Replying to this, CZ wrote: “It’s not that. It’s just the Forbes estimates are way off. ByteDance’s estimated yearly revenue: $150b (from public sources). Zhang Yiming’s estimated net worth by Forbes: $69b. Binance’s estimated yearly revenue: $5b. CZ’s estimated net worth by Forbes: $110b ??? I think if I tried to claim I have a high net worth, they will rank me much lower, or maybe even remove me from the list. They like to estimate the opposite. 🤣”
The Forbes report noted that CZ’s “net worth has skyrocketed to $110 billion, up $47 billion from last year, on the annual World’s Billionaire’s list. CZ now ranks as the 17th-wealthiest person on the planet, by our count, and one of just 20 people worth twelve figures. He is richer than Bill Gates.”The report also noted that some of Zhao’s smaller holdings declined over the past 12 months. The value of his estimated 1,400 bitcoins also fell by about 25%, to roughly $100 million. However, the portion believed to represent a large share of the BNB tokens in circulation remained largely unchanged, the report added.
