Changpeng Zhao (CZ)

Changpeng Zhao (CZ), founder of the cryptocurrency exchange Binance, resigned as CEO in November 2023 following a $4.3 billion settlement between Binance and the U.S. Department of Justice. Zhao personally pleaded guilty to failing to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program in violation of the Bank Secrecy Act. He was sentenced in April 2024 to four months in prison, which he completed in September 2024. In October 2025, President Donald Trump granted Zhao a presidential pardon. Additional legal actions against Zhao include a March 2023 lawsuit from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission alleging willful evasion of U.S. law and derivatives rules, and a June 2023 lawsuit from the Securities and Exchange Commission filing 13 charges, including the unregistered offer and sale of securities and operating unregistered exchanges. In November 2024, FTX filed a lawsuit seeking to recover approximately $1.8 billion from Zhao and Binance related to a 2021 stock repurchase. Zhao paid a $50 million personal fine as part of his 2023 plea agreement.