Just think about it: by the time you finish reading this sentence, CZ could have earned enough to rent a yacht in Monaco — that’s how much one minute of his time is worth in 2024. And by the time you reach the end of this article, someone from this list might have already bought a Lamborghini — purely on passive asset growth. Many billionaires across crypto, fintech, and traditional markets are literally printing millions — not by clicking a mouse, but simply by staying alive. For comparison, Elon Musk’s time is valued even higher — his minute clocks in at over $23,000, based on his estimated net worth growth. The phrase “time is money” in this world isn’t a metaphor — it’s macroeconomics.
This article reveals not just the wealth level of financial titans, but the velocity of their capital growth. What makes this metric powerful is its universality. It’s a snapshot of capital velocity — showing not just who is rich, but whose wealth is actively growing every moment. The formula itself is straightforward: Minute Value = Annual Net Worth Growth ÷ 525,600(the number of minutes in a year)
Similar concepts exist in finance: revenue-per-second for big tech firms, GDP-per-second for nations, or productivity metrics like output-per-labor-minute in macroeconomics. In venture capital, fund growth rates are increasingly being monitored by temporal efficiency — how quickly a fund grows assets under management. This formula brings that same analytical clarity into the world of individual wealth.
Top Billionaires and the Value of Their Time
1) Changpeng Zhao (CZ) — Founder and Former CEO of Binance Before becoming a household name in crypto, CZ was a developer who once sold his apartment to buy Bitcoin. Born in China and raised in Canada, he worked at Bloomberg and then co-founded Fusion Systems before launching Binance in 2017 — a move that reshaped the global exchange landscape. Within six months, Binance became the largest crypto exchange by trading volume. Even after stepping down as CEO in 2023, CZ remains a symbol of global crypto.
Net Worth (2024): $20B Annual Growth: $5B Minute Value: $9,512.94 Fact: Hourly: ~$571,000 | Daily: ~$13.7M
One CZ minute = a brunch aboard a helium balloon stratosphere capsule or renting an Icelandic volcano for a private light show.
2) Bill Gates — Co-founder of Microsoft, Philanthropist, Investor. Though Gates has stepped back from Microsoft, he remains among the world’s richest through his investments in energy, health, and fintech. In a landmark move, he recently transferred $200 billion into a philanthropic fund, which is set to invest these assets into global charitable initiatives over the next 20 years. Known for mixing intellect with eccentricity, he once released mosquitoes during a TED Talk, owns vast U.S. farmland, and vacations at eco-retreats he
Net Worth (2024): ~$128B Annual Growth: ~$9.5B Minute Value: $18,079.39 Fact: Hourly: ~$1.08M | Daily: ~$25.1M
One Gates minute = acquiring an original Leonardo da Vinci notebook or chartering a champagne-fueled dinner aboard a restored Orient Express train through the Alps.
3) Brian Armstrong — CEO of Coinbase Armstrong, a former Airbnb engineer, launched Coinbase in 2012 from his apartment, later turning it into a Nasdaq-listed pioneer of institutional crypto adoption. Known for his intense focus, he once did a 10-day silent meditation before a product launch and reads Stoic philosophy before earnings calls. He’s also invested in longevity tech and has explored time-restricted sleep to boost output.
Net Worth (2024): $4.5B Annual Growth: $1.5B Minute Value: $2,853.88 Fact: Hourly: ~$171,200 | Daily: ~$4.1M
One Armstrong minute = the acquisition cost of a small fintech startup or a 30 second Super Bowl ad spot — including both the production and its promotional campaign.
4) Vitalik Buterin — Co-founder of Ethereum. Vitalik started writing for Bitcoin Magazine at age 17. Dissatisfied with Bitcoin’s limitations, he proposed Ethereum in 2013 — a platform that introduced smart contracts and reshaped the blockchain industry. Known for his eccentric intellect, he once auctioned a pair of his socks as an NFT for charity, casually hangs out with AI researchers at Burning Man, and is rumored to have pitched Ethereum upgrades while hiking barefoot in the Alps.
Net Worth (2024): ~$1.3B Annual Growth: $200M Minute Value: $380.52 Fact: Hourly: ~$22,831 | Daily: ~$547,950
One Vitalik minute = a holographic chess match with Stephen Hawking’s AI clone or commissioning a one-act opera performed live in your Geneva hotel suite.
5) Volodymyr Nosov — Founder and President of WhiteBIT Group Nosov scaled WhiteBIT from a regional exchange into the largest crypto platform in Europe by traffic. WhiteBIT recorded over $2.7 trillion in annual trading volume and is valued at approximately $38.9 billion in total ecosystem capitalization. Beyond the business realm, Nosov is known for making headlines with extravagant purchases. He bought the Eurovision winner’s trophy for nearly $900,000 in crypto at a charity auction and added a rare Rolls-Royce once owned by Freddie Mercury to his collection — turning both into symbols of his crypto-era flamboyance.
Net Worth (2024): ~$1.5B Annual Growth: $1B Minute Value: $1,902.59 Fact: Hourly: ~$114,155 | Daily: ~$2.7M
One Nosov minute = a front-row seat at Paris Fashion Week or a last-minute bid on a Banksy at Sotheby’s.
6) Jeff Bezos — Founder of Amazon, Fintech Investor. After stepping down as Amazon CEO, Bezos focused on Blue Origin, The Washington Post, and fintech ventures. His wealth remains closely tied to Amazon’s success and tech innovation. Known for his flair for the extravagant, Bezos once hosted a private party in orbital simulation gear, commissioned a clock that ticks once per century, and sailed the Mediterranean on a $500M yacht—with a support yacht in tow. He also gifted his fiancée and her friends a private spaceflight aboard Blue Origin, turning romance into a literal launch event.
Net Worth (2024): ~$184B Annual Growth: ~$14B Minute Value: $26,642.20 Fact: Hourly: ~$1.6M | Daily: ~$36.8M
One Bezos minute = commissioning a diamond-studded observatory inside a cliffside villa in Monaco or renting the Colosseum for a drone-lit anniversary spectacle featuring a live orchestra and holograms of Roman emperors.
7) Justin Sun — Founder of TRON, Owner of Huobi & Poloniex, a marketing mastermind and protégé of Alibaba’s Jack Ma, Justin launched TRON in 2017 and quickly became crypto’s king of spectacle. He once paid $4.5 million to lunch with Warren Buffett and gifted him Bitcoin. He’s rented cruise ships for blockchain events and even floated the idea of founding a ‘digital nation.’ Whether bidding for a Nobel Peace Prize or launching viral stunts, Justin’s theatrical flair is unmatched.
Net Worth (2024): $1.8B Annual Growth: $400M Minute Value: $761.04 Fact: Hourly: ~$45,662 | Daily: ~$1.1M
One Justin minute = an NFT auction bid or 15-minute private jet rental.
8) Michael Saylor — Chairman of MicroStrategy, once a dot-com era tech entrepreneur, Saylor reinvented himself as the ultimate Bitcoin evangelist. In 2020, he shifted MicroStrategy’s treasury into BTC, sparking the institutional Bitcoin wave. Known for his intense Bitcoin maximalism, Saylor has compared BTC to digital energy and once hosted a keynote from a volcano-themed mansion. He’s been spotted quoting Aristotle on investor calls and holding meetings aboard yachts named after cryptographic terms.
Net Worth (2024): ~$2.5B Annual Growth: $2.2B
Minute Value: $4,185.69 Fact: Hourly: ~$251,141 | Daily: ~$6M
One Saylor minute = a BTC transaction fee at peak congestion or a SpaceX Mars 2027 ticket.
Final Thought
So next time you glance at the clock, remember: while a minute might cost you nothing, for the financial elite, it’s the currency of empire-building. One tick of the second hand — and ,with the right business strategy, a fortune just got a little larger (though fortunes can shrink too).
