Forbes’ newly announced 2026 Billionaires list shows that Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) is now richer than tech mogul Bill Gates.
CZ came in 17th place in the magazine’s annual ranking of the richest people in the world, while Gates is placed not far from him at 19th.
CZ Outranks Gates in Forbes Billionaire List
Released annually, the Forbes Billionaires List provides a real-time snapshot of the wealth of the most prolific entrepreneurs, investors, heirs, and celebrities worldwide. According to Forbes’s website, as of March 11, 2026, the former Binance executive has a net worth of $111.1B, while Gates’ is listed as $105.7B.
The data also suggests that CZ’s wealth has been growing steadily over the past three years, thanks to his Binance-linked crypto holdings. But, on the other hand, the tech billionaire’s riches have remained relatively stable and are tied to his Microsoft shares and philanthropic commitments.
Zhao has since responded to the piece, outlining on social media that the information shared is inaccurate.
“Didn’t read the Forbes article, but if you just look at the little chart 👇, you know it’s wrong.”
In his X post, CZ questioned how the publication calculated the figures, pointing out that crypto prices had already fallen by more than 50% in 2026, yet his reported net worth had increased.
Zhao also believes that Forbes’ calculations are “way off.” He gave another example by comparing ByteDance’s $150 billion valuation to its former CEO’s $69 billion net worth. The Forbes official website notes that the 2026 ranking was based on calculations of stock prices and exchange rates as of March 1.
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The publication also explained that it looks at the different assets a billionaire is believed to control to come up with a gauge of their wealth, including stakes in public companies, private businesses, real estate, art collections, and other investments.
Forbes Breaks Down Its Wealth Estimates
In Zhao’s case, most of his assumed wealth is believed to originate from his ownership stake in Binance. Forbes’ data shows that he still owns roughly 90% of the exchange. This represents a huge share of his fortune if the company’s valuation is taken into account.
On top of that, he is also believed to hold a large amount of $BNB tokens linked to the Binance ecosystem. CZ has shared in the past that his crypto portfolio contains about 98.5% in $BNB and only 1.3% in BTC. Despite this, the exact amounts remain undisclosed.
Gates’ wealth, on the other hand, was calculated very differently. The outlet said that most of his fortune has historically been tied to his stake in Microsoft. Forbes, however, revealed that his ownership in the firm has dropped 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 couple of years. According to Forbes, this has reduced his overall net worth, and as a result, his placement on their list has also dropped.
