[85] The Bloomberg campaign successfully challenged the signatures Ognibene submitted to the Board of Elections to prevent Ognibene from appearing on ballots for the Republican primary. Bloomberg is based in the Geneva region and works for a private bank, where he likely has access to insider information that he can use to inform his tweets. [277], In 2016, the World Health Organization appointed Bloomberg as its Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases. First elected in 2001, he held office for three consecutive terms, winning re-election in 2005 and 2009. [79] Voting in the primary began on the morning of September 11, 2001. In the rescheduled primary, Bloomberg defeated Herman Badillo, a former Democratic congressman, to become the Republican nominee. [308] He supported the construction of the 7 Subway Extension and the Second Avenue Subway; in December 2013, Bloomberg took a ceremonial ride on a train to the new 34th Street station to celebrate a part of his legacy as mayor. During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath, Bloomberg through his foundation committed to a wide range of urgent causes including researching treatments and vaccines, leading contact tracing to root out the virus, supporting the World Health Organization, and funding global efforts to fight the spread of the disease and protect vulnerable populations. [141], Bloomberg self-funded his campaign from his personal fortune, and did not accept campaign contributions. Bloomberg was frequently mentioned as a possible centrist candidate for the presidential elections in 2008[118][119] and 2012, as well as for governor of New York in 2010[120] or vice-president in 2008. The initiative supports state-based solutions aimed at ensuring America has a clean, reliable, and affordable energy system. [110][111] On his radio show, he stated, "I don't want to do anything that complicates it for the next mayor. Bloomberg grew up in Medford, Massachusetts, and graduated from Johns Hopkins University and Harvard Business School. [260][261], In 2015, Bloomberg donated $100million to Cornell Tech, the applied sciences graduate school of Cornell University on the school's Roosevelt Island campus. [327] Bloomberg was the speaker for Princeton University's 2011 baccalaureate service. "[248] His first contribution, in 1965, had been $5. Partnering with Johns Hopkins University to train COVID-19 contact tracers through its school of public health and search for a treatment of the virus. . At the national level, Bloomberg has consistently pushed for transitioning the United States' energy mix from fossil fuels to clean energy. 1. [32] Phibro Corporation bought Salomon Brothers in 1981, and the new management fired Bloomberg, paying him $10million for his equity in the firm. [169], Over his career, Bloomberg has "mingled support for progressive causes with more conservative positions on law enforcement, business regulation and school choice. Forbes 400: The Full List Of The Richest People In America 2016 Bloomberg replied, "I'm making an investment in this country. $4.5 Million. "[263], In July 2011, Bloomberg launched a $24million initiative to fund "Innovation Delivery Teams" in five cities. In July 2011, Bloomberg Philanthropies donated $50 million to Sierra Club's Beyond Coal campaign, allowing the campaign to expand its efforts to shut down coal-fired power plants from 15 states to 45 states. [329] In addition, he was invited to and delivered guest remarks for the Johns Hopkins Class of 2020. The guy runs a squawk box service for trading desks that breaks news headlines before the MSM. [299] Neither of his daughters had bat mitzvahs. [182], Bloomberg stated that running as a Democrat not an independent was the only path he saw to defeating Donald Trump, saying: "In 2020, the great likelihood is that an independent would just split the anti-Trump vote and end up re-electing the President. "[93], Ronald Lauder, who campaigned for New York City's term limits in 1993 and spent over 4million dollars of his own money to limit the maximum years a mayor could serve to eight years,[94] sided with Bloomberg and agreed to stay out of future legality issues. Bloomberg got started on Wall Street in 1966 as an entry-level worker at the investment bank Salomon Brothers. He spent $73million of his own money on his campaign, outspending Green five to one. Called the Discover New York Arts Project, the project includes organizations HERE, New York Theatre Workshop, and the Kaufman Center. From 2010 to 2013, he served as the chairman of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, a network of the world's biggest cities working together to reduce carbon emissions. [338], Bloomberg was named the 39th most influential person in the world in the 2007 and 2008 Time 100. [107] Former New York State Senator Martin Connor contended that because the Bloomberg donations were made to an Independence Party housekeeping account rather than to an account meant for current campaigns, this was a violation of campaign finance laws. Walter Driver Net Worth | Bio, Family, Address, Career [249] In 2016, Bloomberg Philanthropies contributed $300million to establish the Bloomberg American Health Initiative. [129] Bloomberg supporters believed that Bloomberg could run as a centrist and capture many voters who were dissatisfied with the likely Democratic and Republican nominees.