CZ Post-Prison: Spending More Time With Kids and Family After Realizing What He Missed Most

Speaking on The Wolf of All Streets Podcast, Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao said his prison experience brought him significantly closer to his family, describing how the loss of ordinary comforts made him realize that people — not possessions or routines — were what he missed most. He said that before his incarceration, like most founders, he prioritized work and assumed family time could always come later. Since his release, he said he spends considerably more time with his children and has grown closer to his siblings and mother. Zhao said his advice to fellow founders is that while he does not believe in traditional work-life balance, the most important things in life — including family — must be actively maintained.