Michael Bloomberg Biography

Synopsis

Michael Bloomberg was born on February 14, 1942, in Boston, Massachusetts. Bloomberg put himself through Johns Hopkins and Harvard and became a partner at Salomon Brothers. He started his own company which revolutionized the distribution of financial information and made him a billionaire. In 2002, Bloomberg became mayor of New York City. He was re-elected for a second, then a controversial third term.

Early Life

Michael Rubens Bloomberg was born on February 14, 1942, in Boston, Massachusetts. The son of a bookkeeper, Bloomberg put himself through Johns Hopkins University and Harvard University, where he earned a Master of Business Administration degree in 1966. His first Wall Street job was with Salomon Brothers, where he quickly climbed the ladder, becoming partner in 1972.

Bloomberg L.P.

When Salomon Brothers was bought in 1981, Bloomberg started his own company, Bloomberg L.P., built around a financial information computer that revolutionized the way securities data was stored and consumed. The company was enormously successful and soon branched into the media business with more than 100 offices worldwide. As one of the wealthiest men in the world, Bloomberg chose to turn his attentions to philanthropy, with an emphasis on education, medical research and the arts.

New York Mayor

Bloomberg entered the political arena in 2002, when he won election as the 108th mayor of New York. Considered a liberal Republican turned Independent, Bloomberg is pro-choice and favored legalizing same-sex marriage. His most popular program as mayor was establishing a 311 telephone line that put callers in contact with the city, allowing them to report crimes, trash problems, or anything else. Bloomberg was re-elected mayor in November 2005. 

Controversially, in 2008 Bloomberg was able to push through legislation allowing him to run for a third term as mayor, citing that the particularly difficult economic climate and his financial skills warranted his remaining in office. After spending an unprecedented amount of his own money (upwards of $90 million) on the campaign, Bloomberg secured a third four-year term in November of 2009 -- this time as an Independent, which he registered as two years prior.

Bloomberg stepped down from his political duties on January 2014 and spent that year focusing on his philanthropical pursuits before returning as CEO of Bloomberg L.P. Democrat Bill de Blasio took his place as New York City's new mayor.

During the 2016 presidential election, Bloomberg had considered running as a third party Independent, fearing that the candidates from both the Democratic and Republican parties were too extreme and would turn off many voters. However in March, he officially reneged on pursuing the matter. 

On July 27, 2016 Bloomberg spoke at the Democratic National Convention in support of Hillary Clinton, speaking honestly about how he came to endorse her, as well as his approach to politics. 

"When I enter the voting booth each time, I look at the candidate, not the party label," Bloomberg stated in his prime-time speech. "There are times when I disagree with Hillary Clinton. But let me tell you, whatever our disagreements may be, I've come here to say: We must put them aside for the good of our country. And we must unite around the candidate who can defeat a dangerous demagogue," he said, derogatorily referring to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

Personal Life

Bloomberg was married to Susan Brown from 1975 to 1993. Despite the divorce, the couple are close friends and have two daughters, Georgina and Emma. 

Since 2000 Bloomberg has been in a relationship with banking superintendent Diana Taylor.