Changpeng Zhao is persuaded to sell a controlling stake in Binance

Чанпен Чжао" href="https://noworries.news/biography/chanpen-chzhao/" data-bio-id="3681">Changpeng Zhao, the founder and owner of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange Binance, said that he had received several offers to sell a controlling stake in his company and expressed his readiness to consider each of them, although he has not yet taken any active steps.

Zhao refused to say who made the offers or what conditions they included.

«I am not saying that I will always remain a shareholder. I am open to considering any offer, but I have not done anything yet. At the moment, I am an ordinary shareholder,» he said.

The businessman added that he does not participate in decision-making in the company and does not plan to return to the position of CEO, although the management sometimes seeks his advice.

According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Changpeng Zhao’s fortune grew by $ 25 billion in 2023 and reached $ 37.2 billion by early 2024, but the exact size of his stake in Binance is not disclosed, but analysts estimate it at least at the level of a controlling stake.

Zhao also spoke about his experience in an American prison, noting that at first not all prisoners recognized him. However, over time, it became known that he was «a big fan of bitcoin» and «not a poor person,» after which he was often asked what to invest in, including by the wardens.

According to the businessman, he spent most of his time in prison doing push-ups, writing a book, and eating food that left much to be desired.

He also became friends with one of the convicts, a cryptocurrency and blockchain expert serving a 25-year sentence for bank robbery.

Regarding political events, Zhao refrained from commenting on the results of the US presidential election, but praised the approach taken by Elon Musk as the head of Company X.

As a reminder, former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao has been banned from returning to the company for life. Initially, a temporary ban for three years was reported, but his exclusion became permanent.

Earlier, a record increase in the price of Binance’s token, BNB, made its founder Changpeng Zhao the richest person to ever serve a term in a US federal prison.