US President Donald Trump has pardoned Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, the convicted founder of cryptocurrency giant Binance, the White House confirmed on October 23.
Zhao, a Canadian citizen born in China, pleaded guilty in 2023 to failing to maintain an anti-money laundering program and served nearly four months in prison. His company, Binance, paid US$4.3 billion in fines after admitting to compliance violations under the Biden administration.
The full and unconditional pardon allows Zhao to potentially return to the company he co-founded in 2017. Critics, including Senator Elizabeth Warren, called the move unethical given Zhao’s ties to Trump-linked crypto ventures.
The decision is part of a series of sweeping pardons Trump has issued since returning to office, many benefiting crypto executives and white-collar offenders. But what were the most controversial presidential pardons in US history? Click through the following gallery to find out.