Michael Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg L.P. and mayor of New York City from 2002 to 2013, is ranked No. 18 on the Forbes 2026 World’s Billionaires list with a net worth of $109 billion. He has given away $24.5 billion, according to Wikipedia.
Michael Rubens Bloomberg was born on February 14, 1942, and grew up in Medford, Massachusetts. He graduated from Johns Hopkins University and Harvard Business School and began his career at the securities firm Salomon Brothers.
Net Worth and Rank
- Forbes 2026 list: No. 18, with $109 billion
- Source of wealth: his majority ownership of Bloomberg L.P.
Bloomberg L.P.
He formed his own company in 1981. Bloomberg L.P. is a financial information, software and media firm best known for the Bloomberg Terminal. He was its chief executive from 1981 to 2001 and again from 2014 to 2023.
Mayor of New York City
- Election: he won in 2001, switching from the Democratic to the Republican Party to run, and served as the 109th mayor from 2002 to 2013, winning re-election in 2005 and 2009
- Policies: he established public charter schools, rebuilt infrastructure and backed gun control, public health measures and environmental protections
- Criticism: he faced criticism for the stop-and-frisk programme, and apologised for supporting it before his 2020 presidential run
2020 Presidential Run
Bloomberg launched his campaign for the Democratic nomination in November 2019 and ended it in March 2020 after winning only 61 delegates.
Philanthropy
Bloomberg has signed the Giving Pledge. His foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, focuses on public health, the arts, government innovation, the environment and education. He donated or pledged $767 million in 2018 and more than $1 billion in 2019, and has given away $24.5 billion in his lifetime as of 2025.
Why It Matters
Bloomberg built one of the largest financial-data businesses in the world and became one of the most prominent philanthropic donors in American politics and public health.
Net worth figures change daily with share prices. Rankings here follow the Forbes 2026 World’s Billionaires list, with wealth measured on March 1, 2026.
Image: Michael Bloomberg (left) during a visit to the European Commission in Brussels. Photo: European Commission Audiovisual Service / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
