Is Binance’s CZ Really Richer Than Bill Gates?

Changpeng Zhao has topped Bill Gates on the Forbes list of billionaires 2026, but he says the numbers are wrong.

The new Forbes billionaires list for 2026 shows that Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) is now richer than tech giant Bill Gates.

CZ was ranked 17th in the magazine’s annual ranking of the world’s richest people, while Gates was ranked 19th.

CZ overtook Gates on the list of Forbes billionaires

The Forbes Billionaires List, published annually, provides a true picture of the wealth of entrepreneurs, investors, heirs and celebrities around the world. According to the Forbes website, as of March 11, 2026, the former head of Binance has a net worth of $111.1 billion, while Gates has $105.7 billion.

The data also suggests that CZ’s wealth has grown steadily over the past three years thanks to his Binance-related crypto holdings. But on the other hand, the tech billionaire’s fortune has remained relatively stable, tied to his Microsoft stake and philanthropic commitments.

Zhao then responded to the article and took to social media to point out that the information shared was incorrect.

“Didn’t read the Forbes article, but if you just look at the little chart👇, you know it’s wrong.”

In X’s message, CZ questioned how the publication calculated the numbers, noting that the price of crypto has already fallen by more than 50% in 2026, but his net worth has increased.

Zhao also believes that Forbes’ estimates are “a long way off.” He gave another example to compare ByteDance’s valuation is $150 billion compared to the $69 billion net worth of its former CEO. The official Forbes website notes that the 2026 ranking is based on calculations of stock prices and exchange rates as of March 1.

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The publication also explained that it controls various assets that the billionaire is believed to control to measure his wealth, including shares in public companies, private businesses, real estate, art collections and other investments.

Forbes magazine breaks down its wealth estimates

In Zhao’s case, most of his estimated wealth comes from his ownership stake in Binance. According to Forbes, he still owns about 90% of the stock. This represents a large portion of his wealth if the value of the company is taken into account.

It is also believed to hold a large amount of BNB tokens, which are linked to the Binance ecosystem. CZ has shared in the past that his crypto portfolio is about 98.5% in BNB and only 1.3% in BTC. However, the exact amount has not been disclosed.

Gates’ wealth was calculated differently. Most of his wealth has historically been tied to his stake in Microsoft, the publication said. But Forbes revealed that his ownership in the company has dwindled to less than 1% after years of donations and asset diversification.

The tech mogul has given more than $59 billion to the trust that funds the Gates Foundation over the past two years. According to Forbes, this reduced his net worth, and as a result, his position on their list also dropped.