Bloomberg Makes London a Second Home

Michael Bloomberg, business tycoon and mayor of New York City, is well-known in the United States for his aggressive attacks on smoking, trans fats, and soda.  But he also has a reputation as an Anglophile– a lover of English culture.  The New York Times recently detailed how he has coupled this love of England with a social campaign to boost his profile in the city of London.  He owns a large amount of property in the city- including a $20 million dollar mansion, Bloomberg Place.  He is on friendly terms with its mayor, Boris Johnson, who has studied Bloomberg’s governance of New York City as a model for municipal management.  Bloomberg, either directly or through his companies, has contributed $1.5 million dollars to English political candidates.  He is a benefactor of the city’s arts, including the Serpentine Gallery in Kensington Gardens and the ancient Temple of Mithras.  Bloomberg is paying for the restoration of the Temple of Mithras; he has already hired 50 archaeologists to scour the area for artifacts and relics.  Bloomberg is expected to begin spending more time in London once his term as mayor is over.