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When the casket is closed, it’s probably best to be known as someone who did positive things for society. Who wants to be remembered as the office jerk or the swashbuckling business titan known for consistently firing people with minimal severance?
Binance founder Changpeng Zhao said he isn’t in the mindset of obsessing over a legacy.
“I care less about legacy, what other people think,” Zhao said in an episode of the Power Players with Brian Sozzi podcast (video above; listen in below). “After I die, I just want to be happy with myself and that I made a positive contribution to the maximum extent I can, or close to the maximum extent I can. So I tried my best.”
Up until now, Zhao has built an interesting legacy in the eyes of the business community.
Zhao — known in crypto circles as CZ — is a Canadian-born businessman who co-founded Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange. Forbes estimates his net worth at around $110 billion, landing him among the top 20 richest people on the planet and the wealthiest Canadian alive.
Zhao’s legal troubles began when the Justice Department, following a years-long investigation, charged him with running a financial platform without basic anti-money laundering safeguards.
He pleaded guilty in November 2023, stepped down as Binance CEO, served four months in federal prison, and was released in September 2024.
On Oct. 23, 2025, President Trump signed a full pardon for Zhao, with the White House framing the prosecution as a Biden administration “war on cryptocurrency.”
Zhao said he still hasn’t had the opportunity to thank Trump in person, but he would like to do so.
He said he is now focused on mentoring young entrepreneurs and educational pursuits.
“I think investing in impactful funders like, you know, world-changing technologies [is important] … And then I spend the other time coaching founders who want to view me as a mentor,” Zhoa said. “So I have conversations with maybe a dozen, half a dozen founders at different times. And then I also advise a few governments on their crypto regulatory policies. So for governments who want to value my opinion, I’m happy to give my opinion.”
Brian Sozzi is Yahoo Finance’s Executive Editor, host of the ‘Power Players With Brian Sozzi’ podcast and a member of Yahoo Finance’s editorial leadership team. Follow Sozzi on X @BrianSozzi, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Tips on stories? Email brian.sozzi@yahoofinance.com.
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