Bloomberg donated millions to cities where he's now looking for votes
Bloomberg has donated roughly $8 billion to charity
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg donated millions of dollars to cities in which he's now looking to win votes, as he ratchets up his campaign following a late entry into the 2020 presidential race, according to a report.
The Mike Bloomberg Family Foundation gave $70 million to 25 cities, including Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago and Atlanta, in states that he will need to win in order to secure the Democratic nomination, The New York Post reported. The awards were part of the Bloomberg American Cities Climate Challenge encouraging municipalities to cut carbon emissions.
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Over his lifetime, Bloomberg has donated roughly $8 billion to charity, or 13 percent of his total net worth.
The businessman-turned-philanthropist founded and helps fund multiple groups, including Everytown for Gun Control, Beyond Carbon (an anti-coal energy initiative) and Protect Kids (an anti-flavored e-cigarettes campaign).
Bloomberg made history with a $1.8 billion gift to his alma mater, Johns Hopkins University, which he and the school said is the largest ever contribution to an American university.
Mike Bloomberg speaks to the media, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2019 in Phoenix. Bloomberg, a late entrant in the already crowded race for the Democratic presidential nomination, was set Tuesday to file to run in Arizona's presidential primary. (AP Photo/Rick
The Post detailed other miscellaneous donations, including:
- Millions in art grants to cities including San Francisco, Pittsburgh and Jackson, Mississippi
- $5 million for public safety in Baltimore, home of Johns Hopkins University
- $32 million to the education center at Boston's Museum of Science, which was renamed after his parents, William and Charlotte Bloomberg
"When you are one of the most generous givers in America year after year after year like Mike Bloomberg is, you get to know and work with a lot of amazing people who are doing fantastic things for people," Bloomberg spokesman Stu Loeser told The Post.
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Bloomberg is worth an estimated $52 billion, according to Forbes. That's significantly more than the other billionaire in the primary race, Tom Steyer, who's worth $1.6 billion.
During the 2016 election, Steyer gave about $65 million to support Democratic candidates and environmental causes, according to Forbes.
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FOX Business' Megan Henney and Ann Schmidt contributed to this report.