161 letters from relatives and friends petitioning for CZ released by the court
Translated letter 11:
December 25, 2023
About the case of Changpeng Zhao
To: Dear Judge
I have known the defendant Changpeng Zhao (CZ) since 1990. I first met CZ when we were both enrolled in the same high school in Vancouver, Canada. We quickly became best friends due to our similar values as children of first-generation immigrant parents. CZ has a humble character, hard work and integrity, and I am proud to have such an adventure partner in my teenage years.
CZ has a humble background. Of all the high school classmates I personally knew, he was the least financially well-off at the time. In order to support his family and have some pocket money to spend, he had to work part-time at the local McDonald's regularly. Despite his extended responsibilities and limited free time, CZ was able to maintain excellent academic progress, making him one of the few classmates I often competed with for the highest grades. He also had excellent athletic ability. We and some classmates formed the school's volleyball team - the Eagles - and he was later named captain.
It was impressive to witness the behind-the-scenes effort CZ put in to improve his volleyball skills. In the early 90s, the internet was not yet widespread, so books were the primary method of learning new knowledge. In addition to the drills ordered by the coach, CZ would borrow volleyball skill books from the school library and diligently repeat the drills, imitating the forms and techniques prescribed in the book. His growth was obvious, and eventually we all agreed that he should lead the team as captain.
One thing that is less known about CZ is his English speech challenges at the time. He would often get stuck on repeating the word "and" when starting to speak. The stuttering was particularly noticeable during stressful times, such as during school volleyball games when he, as our captain, had to question the referee's calls. Gradually, the stuttering seemed to have subsided. But few people know that CZ had been attending sessions with a speech therapist for many years.
Through determination, he overcame his speech difficulties and became an articulate English speaker.
In 1995, after graduating from high school, we went to different universities and started different careers.Over two decades later, our paths crossed again when I had the opportunity to work with him at Binance. I was pleasantly surprised that my high school buddy has not strayed from his humility, strong work ethic, and integrity. While some are confused that CZ would choose to travel to the United States to participate in the corresponding court proceedings in this case, I know that this is in CZ's character. He is doing what a responsible person who I have known since childhood should do.
I sincerely hope that the court will consider this letter and consider leniency when sentencing. CZ is not only a close friend, but also a true inspiration in my life since my teenage years. I often share my teenage story with my children as a positive inspiration. I believe that if given the opportunity, his humble personality, tenacity to overcome challenges, and most importantly, his integrity, will continue to inspire and uplift more people, just like how he helped improve my life.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter.
Sincerely,
Ted Lin
#ChangpengZhao
