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Michael Bloomberg: 5 Fun Facts About The Former NYC Mayor Endorsing Hillary Clinton

By Sarah Field
Published on: 16:25 PST, Jul 24, 2016

Hillary Clinton has received her share of endorsements since announcing her run for the U.S. presidency. But the announcement that former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg is not only backing her but will address the Democratic convention this week is raising a few eyebrows.

On Sunday, Bloomberg’s retweeted a New York Times article that said his dissatisfaction with Trump led him to endorse the Democratic nominee. The article quoted Bloomberg’s spokesperson who described his foray into the 2016 race as a move not based on party affiliation.

“As the nation’s leading independent and a pragmatic business leader, Mike has supported candidates from both sides of the aisle. This week in Philadelphia, he will make a strong case that the clear choice in this election is Hillary Clinton.”

As the Democrats gather this week in Philadelphia to anoint Hillary Clinton as their party’s nominee, and Bloomberg gets ready to take the stage, here are some fun facts about the former mayor.

He has more money than you do.

It’s possible you have more money than Michael Bloomberg, if you are one of seven specific individuals on the planet. Bloomberg ranked eighth on the Forbes list of global billionaires, with a net worth of $47.6 billion. He may be the world’s eighth richest person, but he’s sixth in the United States. Bloomberg made his money in data services and through his media empire.

He was once a Democrat, then elected as a Republican.

Many New Yorkers probably remember Bloomberg as a Republican. It turns out he was a Democrat who left the party in 2000. He was mayor of New York City from 2001 to 2013, originally serving as a Republican. He’s now an Independent. According to the New York Times, it is highly unusual for a non-member of a political party to speak at the party’s convention. Clinton’s camp, according to the Times, invited Bloomberg to speak. The former mayor has been given a plum speaking spot: in prime time, on Wednesday night, the same evening as Vice President Biden and President Obama.

Despite a law that would limit him to two terms as mayor, Bloomberg ran for a third term and won.

Back in 2008, New York City Council voted to remove term limits on the city’s elected officials. Bloomberg wanted to run again to help the city weather the financial crisis, according to a Reuters report from October 2008. Bloomberg ran for a third term and continued on as mayor, but he told the New York Times in 2010 he was in favor of restoring term limits.

He’s expressed admiration for Bill Clinton — and Ronald Reagan.

Back in March, Bloomberg published an opinion piece on Bloomberg Viewthat explained his decision to not make a go for the presidency this time around. He criticized candidates on both sides for disavowing policies of the heroes of their own parties — Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan.

“Both presidents were problem-solvers, not ideological purists. And both moved the country forward in important ways.”

Bloomberg said that he believed that he could not win if he ran and would only succeed in electing either Trump or Ted Cruz, who was then still in the race.

He was born on Valentine’s Day.

According to Biography, Michael Bloomberg was born on February 14, 1942, in Boston. He is the son of a bookkeeper who attended Johns Hopkins and Harvard. He made his wealth primarily through Bloomberg L.P., which “revolutionized” the storage and exchange of securities information.

[Photo by Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images]

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