The boom of the cryptocurrency market has contributed to boost Forbes’ list of billionaires. In addition to bitcoin, the rise in altcoins and the growth of the NFTs market has made 12 entrepreneurs in the sector (nine more than in 2020) join the list of the richest people in the world.
Check out who are the names of the cryptocurrency industry highlighted in Forbes’ 35th list of billionaires, released on April 6, with net worth data referred to March 5.
1 and 2: The Winklevoss Brothers
Known for their lawsuit against Facebook, in which they made a US$ 65 million settlement, brothers Cameron Winklevoss and Tyler Winklevoss started investing in bitcoin in 2012. With this, they turned their assets into US$ 3 billion for each.
In addition, they created the Gemini cryptocurrency exchange and bought the digital art auction platform Nifty Gateway.
3. Michael Saylor
With a net equity of US$ 2.3 billion, MicroStrategy’s CEO got his fortune from buying bitcoin before the prices boom.
4. Matthew Roszak
With a net worth of US$ 1.5 billion, the investor of Bloq, a blockchain infrastructure company, and cryptocurrency startups also joined Forbes’ 2021 list.
5. Tim Draper
In 2014, the investor bought US$ 18.7 million in bitcoins from the United States Government, which had been confiscated by the U.S. Department of Justice agency. Today, the currencies are worth US$ 1.5 billion.
6. Sam Bankman-Fried
FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried’s net worth exceeds US$ 8.7 billion. In 2020, he became famous for his million-dollar donation of US$ 5 million to Joe Biden’s campaign.
7. Brian Armstrong
In 2020, Armstrong had US$ 1 billion. Today, with assets of US$ 6.5 billion, the cofounder of Coinbase exchange has more than sextupled his fortune amid the cryptocurrency investment boom.
8. Fred Ehrsam
Also co-founder of Coinbase, Ehrsam left the company in 2017, but remains a board member. New to Forbes’ list, its 6% stake is worth about US$ 1.9 billion.
9. Changpeng Zhao
The founder of Binance, which owns about 30% of the company, returned to the list this year, with an estimated fortune of US$ 1.9 billion.
10. Barry Silbert
Founder of Digital Currency Group (DCG), a conglomerate that includes cryptocurrency news site CoinDesk and asset management firm Grayscale, Silbert joined the Forbes list this year with an estimated net worth of US$ 1.6 billion.
11. Chris Larsen
With a net worth of US$ 3.4 billion, the cofounder and chairman of Ripple increased his fortune by US$ 800 million (compared to 2020), tracking the skyrocketing prices of the XRP token.
12. Jared McCaleb
Another Ripple co-founder, McCaleb is new to Forbes’ list, with net equity of US$ 2 billion in XRPs and stellar lumens (currency he created after leaving Ripple).
