Binance, Coinbase CEOs together lost $1.7B of personal wealth after SEC charges News ▸ Binance ▸ Coinbase ▸ Regulation
Binance, Coinbase CEOs together lost $1.7B of personal wealth after SEC charges
Binance's CZ lost $1.4B, while Coinbase's Brian Armstrong lost $361M.
1 min read
Updated: Jul. 9, 2023 at 5:00 pm UTC
Cover art/illustration via CryptoSlate. Image includes combined content which may include AI-generated content.
The CEOs of Binance and Coinbase lost part of their personal wealth in the aftermath of SEC charges, Bloomberg said on June 6.
Execs gained billions before latest loss
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission sued Binance on June 5 and sued Coinbase on June 6, alleging that both companies violated securities regulations.
Those events affected the crypto market, company valuations, and more. Bloomberg said that Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao saw his net worth decrease by $1.4 billion to $26 billion in the two days since the charges. It added that Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong saw his net worth decrease by $361 million to $2.2 billion.
Together, their personal losses amount to $1.761 billion.
Bloomberg also noted that each executive’s net worth increased prior to the latest downturn. The executives gained $15.4 billion total earlier this year, as Zhao’s net worth rose by 117% and Armstrong’s rose by 61%.
Data is from Bloomberg’s own index
Bloomberg cited its own Billionaires Index as the source of its data.
Zhao’s estimate is based on his private holdings in Binance Holdings and Binance.US., though Bloomberg’s star ranking indicates it has little confidence in its estimate.
Brian Armstrong is not publicly listed on Bloomberg’s index, but Bloomberg’s estimate is based at least in part on his stock in Coinbase. Bloomberg said that Armstrong owns 16% of the company’s stock, COIN. The stock is down as much as 15% today.
Mentioned in this article
Author 
Mike Dalton
Before transitioning to crypto writing in 2018, Mike studied library and information sciences. Currently, he resides on Canada's West Coast.
Editor Editor 
Zaeem Shoaib Zuberi
Zaeem, an editor fascinated by business, finance, DeFi, and cryptocurrencies, holds a business and finance degree. His 14-year career in financial journalism spans sectors like banking, finance, insurance, and tech.
In this article
Coinbase
Coinbase is a digital currency exchange and wallet service that allows individuals to buy, sell, and store digital currencies, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin.
Binance
Binance is a global cryptocurrency exchange that provides a platform for trading more than 100 cryptocurrencies.
Changpeng Zhao, popularly known as “CZ,” is a notable figure in the cryptocurrency world, primarily for founding and leading Binance, the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume.
Brian Armstrong, co-founder and CEO of Coinbase, stands at the forefront of the digital currency revolution.
