Changpeng Zhao is the founder and former chief executive officer (CEO) of Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange
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Mr Zhao founded Binance in 2017 and powered it to become the biggest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume
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On Tuesday, the 47-year-old was sentenced to four months in prison after he pleaded guilty to violations of US anti-money laundering and sanctions laws last year
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Mr Zhao's prison sentence makes him the wealthiest inmate ever, boasting a net worth of around $33 billion through his ownership of Binance, the Telegraph reported
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Mr Zhao stepped down as CEO of Binance last year as part of a deal with US authorities, but he still retains an estimated 90% stake in Binance
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Changpeng Zhao was born in China and emigrated to Canada in 1989
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As a teenager in Vancouver, he pitched in to cover the household expenses, flipping burgers at McDonald's and working overnight shifts at a gas station, per Forbes
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He later went on to study computer science at McGill University in Montreal
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In 2005, Changpeng Zhao moved back to China and tried his hand at several different tech startups before getting involved in crypto and founding Binance
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Notably, Zhao's journey at Binance has been far from smooth sailing as the company has been embroiled in several controversies