Our Haute 100 list details the accomplishments of the most influential people in each of our markets—Miami, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. These people continue to make moves, so rather than waiting for the next Haute 100 issue to come out, we thought we’d provide you with regular updates on those Haute 100 members who are making headlines. Michael Bloomberg is taking a role of leadership on the national debate on gun control.
Michael Bloomberg
Category: Billionaires
Company: New York City and Bloomberg LP
Industry: Politics
What Made Him Haute: He became Mayor of New York City in 2002, was reelected in 2005, and in 2008 convinced the City Council to extend the two-term limit so that he could run a third term. He earned his fortune by selling financial data and analytic tools to companies on Wall Street, which he eventually turned into his namesake company Bloomberg L.P. The company now has its own magazine, cable network, and radio station. In 2010, Forbes named Bloomberg the 10th richest person in the entire United States, with an estimate net worth of $18 billion. He’s also an active philanthropist; he reportedly donated $254 million to charity in 2009 alone, and this year, he joined several other billionaires in the “Giving Pledge,” vowing to donate most of his wealth to worthy causes.
What Makes Him Haute Now: This New York billionaire is first and foremost a public servant. Recently, his service has been most poignant in his efforts to persuade the federal government to enforce gun control. With the presence of Martin Luther King III and 34 victims of gun violence (representative of the 34 lives that are taken daily from gun-related crimes in the U.S.), Mayor Bloomberg held a press conference shortly after the Tucson shooting at City Hall. Here, testimonials of these 34 victims were given. The press conference ended with Bloomberg on the podium asking President Obama to enforce existing laws on gun control.
News
January 25, 2011Broadway's Susan Egan, Cabaret and "Dancing With the Stars" All to
