Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ) escalated his decade-long feud with OKX founder Star Xu by offering a $1 billion bet on the authenticity of his divorce status. In a post on X on April 9, CZ gave Xu a 24-hour ultimatum: hire lawyers to review his divorce agreement, or back down.
New Book Revives Old Grievances
The clash began when CZ released his memoir Freedom of Money on April 8. The book revisited their 2014 dispute at OKCoin over equity and contracts, and also alleged that Xu reported Huobi founder Leon Li to Chinese police in 2020, leading to Li's arrest. Xu fired back on X, calling CZ a "habitual liar" and claiming the book twisted facts repeatedly.
Xu then zeroed in on CZ's personal life, questioning whether he truly divorced or merely separated. "If he can produce a signed divorce agreement today, I will apologize publicly. If he can't but still claims he is divorced, that is a clear misrepresentation to the public," Xu wrote.
A $1 Billion Wager on Private Documents
Rather than ignoring the attack, CZ responded head-on. "You can apologize now. I have been divorced for a while (well before today)," he said. Citing respect for his ex-wife's privacy, he refused to post legal documents online but offered an audacious bet:
"I am happy to bet $1 billion (or any amount you choose) that I have been formally divorced for a long time. If you dare take the bet, we can have lawyers verify my divorce agreement. It should be very simple."
CZ set a firm deadline: "The bet is open forever. You can take it anytime. But if you don't accept within 24 hours, it will be clear who is misleading the public. I will move on to more meaningful things." As of this writing, Star Xu has not publicly responded, leaving the crypto community watching closely.