Zhao Says Trump Pardon Was Unexpected, No Deal Involved

Changpeng Zhao Says Donald Trump Pardon Was Unexpected, No Deal Involved

Written by Aaron S.,

Editor-In-Chief

Last Updated: November 10, 2025

Key Takeaways

Changpeng Zhao said he never met or spoke with US President Donald Trump and was surprised to receive a pardon in October;
Zhao denied having any business ties with the Trump family or World Liberty Finance;
President Trump claimed he did not know Zhao but believed the case against him was politically driven.

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Changpeng Zhao recently said he did not expect to receive a pardon from US President Donald Trump and denied having any business ties with the Trump family.

In an interview with Fox News on November 7, Zhao explained that he had never met or spoken with President Trump before or after the pardon was granted in October.

He stated that his only contact with the Trump family was a brief meeting with Eric Trump at a Bitcoin BTC $106,319.78 event in Abu Dhabi.

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When asked about possible financial ties, Zhao stated that neither he nor Binance $11.62B has any connection to World Liberty Finance. He emphasized that no business relationship was involved.

Regarding the pardon process, Zhao said he had little insight into its progress. According to him, his legal team submitted the request in April, but he received no updates during the months that followed. He said:

I did not know when or if it was going to happen <...> Then, it happened one day.

President Trump later commented during a press event that he did not know Zhao personally. He explained that he was advised the legal case was politically driven and not based on criminal wrongdoing.

The president said Zhao had wide support and that many believed the charges were unfair.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt recently commented on the decision to pardon Zhao. What did she say? Read the full story.