Chinese-born Canadian businessman Changpeng Zhao (赵长鹏, Zhào Chángpéng), commonly known as CZ, is the co-founder and former CEO of Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume as of July 2024.
Early Life and Education of Changpeng Zhao
Changpeng Zhao was born in Lianyungang, in China's Jiangsu province. When he was 12 years old, he immigrated to Canada with his family, settling in Vancouver, British Columbia, in the late 1980s. His parents were both schoolteachers in China, and his father had worked as a university instructor until he was labeled a "pro-bourgeois intellect" and exiled to a rural area shortly after Zhao's birth.
As a teenager in Canada, Zhao supported his family by working several service jobs, including as a fast-food clerk at McDonald's and at a gas station. Changpeng Zhao attended McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, where he majored in computer science.
Professional Career of Changpeng Zhao
After graduating from McGill, Changpeng Zhao was selected for an internship in Tokyo working for a subcontractor of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, developing software for matching trade orders. He later went to work full-time for four years at Bloomberg Trade book where he was a developer of futures trading software.
Wife, Relationship, and Kids of Changpeng Zhao
Changpeng Zhao met his wife Yang Weiqing in 1999 and they married in 2003. They have two children. Although still married to Yang, Zhao has been in a "life partner" relationship with his business partner and fellow Binance co-founder, He Yi, since they met in 2014. They have three children together.
Net Worth and Salary
Changpeng Zhao is the number one richest Canadian businessman who has an estimated net worth of $37.9 Billion because he is the co-founder and former CEO of Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume as of July 2024.