Daniel DePetris

Bloomberg’s billions could be his biggest liability

If all it took to become president of the United States was massive spending on television and digital advertisements, Mike Bloomberg would win the 2020 presidential election in a landslide. As the eighth wealthiest person on the planet with a net worth of over £41bn ($53bn), Bloomberg has a practically unlimited war chest at his disposal. And he is more than happy to use it; the former New York City mayor spent £85m ($110m) in the 2018 midterm election cycle on behalf of the Democratic party.

Now that he’s officially a Democratic candidate for president, Bloomberg will be leveraging a good chunk of cash on his own prospects. The announcement of his candidacy, followed by an initial £23m ($30m) ad buy in America’s biggest media markets, is the first stage in what could be one of the most expensive primary campaigns in history. 

Bloomberg, a three-term mayor and philanthropist, is a bit of an enigma in today’s Democratic party.

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