Bloomberg: Philanthropy is his next job

Were I so able to contribute. Sigh!

Give a few kudos to the wealthy who aren't total blood suckers.

Whether Michael Bloomberg decides to run for president in 2008, it is clear he is serious about building up his philanthropic giving.
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The billionaire mayor is expected to disclose shortly that he gave $165 million to more than 1,000 charities in 2006, and is forming an organization called Bloomberg Philanthropies that will organize all of his giving: his personal one-time contributions, his company's donations and the projects undertaken by the new foundation.

He recently purchased two buildings near his home on Manhattan's Upper East Side to use as the headquarters and has begun to assemble a staff that is sketching out some of the foundation's first projects. He is even recreating another Bloomberg bullpen there — his trademark office arrangement that has everyone sitting together with no walls.

Despite the speculation that Bloomberg will dip into his fortune to bankroll a presidential run, the billionaire insists that when he leaves City Hall at the end of 2009, he will take a vacation and then focus on giving his money away.

Via Yahoo! News.