Michael Bloomberg Quotes

Michael Bloomberg is an American businessman, politician, and philanthropist. He is the founder, CEO, and owner of Bloomberg L.P., a financial data and media company. He was the mayor of New York City from 2002 to 2013, and is currently a candidate for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.

Bloomberg was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to a Jewish family. He attended Johns Hopkins University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. He then went on to work as an information technology consultant for Salomon Brothers, a Wall Street investment bank. In 1981, he founded Bloomberg L.P. with the help of Thomas Secunda and Duncan MacMillan. Bloomberg L.P. provides financial data and news to clients in the financial, business, and government sectors.

Bloomberg served as the mayor of New York City for three terms, from 2002 to 2013. He was a member of the Republican Party during his first two terms, and became an independent in 2007. He ran for president as a Democrat in 2020.

Bloomberg has been a major philanthropist, donating billions of dollars to causes such as education, the arts, and the environment. He is also a noted political commentator, and has authored several books on business and politics.

Here is a detailed look at the life and accomplishments of Michael Bloomberg.

Table of Contents:

1. Early Life and Education

2. Career in Business and Politics

3. Philanthropy and Activism

4. Books by Michael Bloomberg

5. Awards and Recognition

6. Personal Life

7. Legacy

8. Top Michael Bloomberg Quotes

Early Life and Education

Michael Bloomberg was born on February 14, 1942, in Boston, Massachusetts. He was raised in a Jewish family. His father, William Bloomberg, was a bookkeeper for a dairy company, and his mother, Charlotte Bloomberg, was a secretary.

Bloomberg attended Johns Hopkins University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. He then went on to study at Harvard Business School, but left before earning his degree to work at Salomon Brothers, a Wall Street investment bank.

Career in Business and Politics

In 1981, Bloomberg founded Bloomberg L.P., a financial data and media company, with the help of Thomas Secunda and Duncan MacMillan. Bloomberg L.P. provides financial data and news to clients in the financial, business, and government sectors. The company has been extremely successful, and Bloomberg himself is estimated to be worth over $50 billion.

Bloomberg served as the mayor of New York City for three terms, from 2002 to 2013. He was a member of the Republican Party during his first two terms, and became an independent in 2007. He ran for president as a Democrat in 2020.

As mayor, Bloomberg was responsible for a number of initiatives, including the implementation of a smoking ban in public places, the introduction of a bike-sharing program, and the creation of a 311 system for non-emergency municipal services. He also oversaw the city’s response to the September 11th attacks, and the subsequent rebuilding of the World Trade Center.

Philanthropy and Activism

Bloomberg has been a major philanthropist, donating billions of dollars to causes such as education, the arts, and the environment. He is the founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies, which has given away over $5 billion to various causes.

He has also been an active political commentator, and has authored several books on business and politics. In 2019, he announced that he was giving $1.8 billion to Johns Hopkins University for financial aid for low- and middle-income students.

Books by Michael Bloomberg

Bloomberg has authored a number of books on business and politics, including:

– Bloomberg by Bloomberg (1997)

– Street Smarts: Adventures on the Road and in the Markets (1998)

– Bloomberg: An Autobiography (2020)

Awards and Recognition

Bloomberg has received a number of awards and recognition for his accomplishments. In 2008, he was named “Person of the Year” by Time magazine. He has also received honorary degrees from a number of universities, including Johns Hopkins University, Harvard University, and the University of Oxford.

Personal Life

Bloomberg is divorced from his first wife, Susan Brown, with whom he has two daughters. He is currently in a relationship with Diana Taylor, a former New York State Banking Superintendent.

Legacy

Michael Bloomberg is a highly successful businessman and politician who has had a significant impact on New York City and the world. He is a noted philanthropist, and his work has helped to improve the lives of many people. He will continue to be a major force in business, politics, and philanthropy for years to come.

Top Michael Bloomberg Quotes

“If you want to know how to solve society’s problems, you start out with better public education.”— Michael Bloomberg

“What you’ve got to do is be honest. Say what you believe. Give it to them straight. Just don’t wuss out.”— Michael Bloomberg

“If you want to do something for your children and show how much you love them, the single best thing-by far-is to support organizations that will create a better world for them and their children.”— Michael Bloomberg

“I have two daughters that are the loves of my life and I want to leave them a better world, a better country, a better state and a better city.”— Michael Bloomberg

“Our climate is changing. And while the increase in extreme weather we have experienced in New York City and around the world may or may not be the result of it, the risk that it may be – given the devastation it is wreaking – should be enough to compel all elected leaders to take immediate action.”— Michael Bloomberg

“The mistake that was made in the ’70s is we stopped policing the streets, we stopped cleaning the streets, we stopped cleaning the graffiti off buildings, we stopped supporting our cultural institutions and building parks and schools and all those kinds of things.”— Michael Bloomberg

“Nobody wants a job where they don’t have authority to go along with the responsibility. Quite the contrary. The more authority you give people, the better people you can attract, and the harder they’re going to work, and the more loyal they are going to be.”— Michael Bloomberg

“Neither party has God on its side, a monopoly on good ideas, or a lock on any single fiscal, social, or moral philosophy.”— Michael Bloomberg

“If you don’t encounter setbacks in your career, if you don’t have doubts and disappointments, let me tell you, you’re not dreaming big enough.”— Michael Bloomberg

“I’ve always respected those who tried to change the world for the better, rather than just complain about it.”— Michael Bloomberg

“If a hurricane strikes, we can blame the president for not being there; we can blame Congress and FEMA; we can blame the state governments; but in the end, it’s the mayors and the local city governments that have to be prepared for emergencies and be prepared to act.”— Michael Bloomberg

“Don’t be afraid to assert yourself, have confidence in your abilities and don’t let the bastards get you down.”— Michael Bloomberg

“In New York City, a lot of people think ‘the great outdoors’ is the area between your front door and a taxi cab.”— Michael Bloomberg

“You must first be willing to fail – and you must have the courage to go for it anyway.”— Michael Bloomberg

“Progress is not inevitable. It’s up to us to create it.”— Michael Bloomberg

“If someone tells me they skied all day and never fell down, I tell them to find another mountain.”— Michael Bloomberg

“Being an entrepreneur isn’t really about starting a business. It’s a way of looking at the world: seeing opportunity where others see obstacles, taking risks when others take refuge.”— Michael Bloomberg

“Many of America’s and New York’s sons and daughters are around the world fighting for the freedoms that the Statue of Liberty stands for.”— Michael Bloomberg

“America is built around this premise that you can do it, and there are an awful lot of people who are unlikely to have done it who did.”— Michael Bloomberg

“The truth of the matter is: you can create a great legacy, and inspire others, by giving it to philanthropic organizations.”— Michael Bloomberg

“The fact is, the most painful and tragic lesson of the 20th century was that regimes based on racial superiority and religious hatred can’t be trusted to keep their word to the international community.”— Michael Bloomberg

“Central planning didn’t work for Stalin or Mao, and it won’t work for an entrepreneur either.”— Michael Bloomberg

“I don’t know why you should be proud of something. It doesn’t make you any better or worse. You are what you are.”— Michael Bloomberg

“Taxes are not good things, but if you want services, somebody’s got to pay for them so they’re a necessary evil.”— Michael Bloomberg

“I don’t know why people carry guns. Guns kill people.”— Michael Bloomberg

“In the game of life, when the final buzzer sounds, the only stat you carry with you is the number of assists you made.”— Michael Bloomberg

“One’s a dog-eat-dog world, and the other one’s just the opposite.”— Michael Bloomberg

“Working collectively and collaboratively is the difference between mediocrity by yourself or success as a team. You have to share the pain and the responsibility and if you do then you will also share in the rewards.”— Michael Bloomberg

“Today, you’re a piranha if you are seen having coffee with somebody from the other party in many cases.”— Michael Bloomberg

“Five years have come, and five years have gone, and still we stand together as one. We come back to this place to remember the heartbreaking anniversary – and each person who died here – those known and unknown to us, whose absence is always with us.”— Michael Bloomberg

“If you can’t prove it’s not true then a certain number of people will glom on and say it is true.”— Michael Bloomberg

“To a contrarian like me, constant advice not to do something almost always starts me quickly down the risky, unpopular path.”— Michael Bloomberg

“I am heading straight in. I have earned my place in heaven. It’s not even close.”— Michael Bloomberg

“The next day after I got fired, literally the next day, I started a new company.”— Michael Bloomberg

“I never liked anyone who didn’t have a temper. If you don’t have a temper, you don’t have any passion.”— Michael Bloomberg

“Like Israel, New York City’s history has been defined by immigrants who come in search of freedom and the opportunity to build a better life. And like Israel, New York City has remained a target for terrorists who seek to destroy that freedom.”— Michael Bloomberg

“Trees will improve property values, take pollutants out of the air, help with water runoff.”— Michael Bloomberg

“If you are honest with yourself and if you want to like what you see in the mirror, is you have to say what you really believe.”— Michael Bloomberg

“When it comes to public school education, we have been unwilling to measure our results. We’ve been unwilling to pay based on performance. We have tenure where, even if you can’t teach, you can’t get fired. We’ve been unwilling to invest in new schools.”— Michael Bloomberg

“Leading from the front: It’s what built America. But these days, the federal government isn’t at the front – it’s cowering in the back corner of the room, ducking responsibility and hoping no one notices.”— Michael Bloomberg

“I do think there are certain times we should infringe on your freedom.”— Michael Bloomberg

“Buy what’s deliverable, not what could be.”— Michael Bloomberg

“You bet I did and I enjoyed it.”— Michael Bloomberg

“I like the theater, dining and chasing women. Let me put it this way: I am a single, straight billionaire in Manhattan. It’s like a wet dream.”— Michael Bloomberg

“We have an expression in New York City government – “In God we trust, but for everyone else, bring data.” It’s so easy to pick up a sound byte and say, “Oh, yeah, yeah, I believe that,” without really thinking.”— Michael Bloomberg

“You’re entitled to your own opinions, but not your own facts.”— Michael Bloomberg

“No place epitomizes the American experience and the American spirit more than New York City.”— Michael Bloomberg

“After hard work, the biggest determinant is being in the right place at the right time.”— Michael Bloomberg

“I think if you look at people, whether in business or government, who haven’t had any moral compass, who’ve just changed to say whatever they thought the popular thing was, in the end they’re losers.”— Michael Bloomberg

“Entrepreneurship is having an idea to do something great and not entirely have a plan on how to do it but the drive and will power to make it work.”— Michael Bloomberg