Inside Hizzoner's media money machine

-SHOMARI HINES Mayor Mike Bloomberg came into his boat load of money, the old fashioned way, working for it. His story reads like the cliché script, where a young man gets canned from his job only to launch his own company which of course is met with many doubts only to grow into the monster it is today. Mike Bloomberg is perhaps one of the most humble billionaires around compared to other billionaires like the extremely flamboyant Donald Trump who isn't even in Bloomberg's big money circles. Fortune magazine takes a look at the man, the mayor and his money machine that is Bloomberg LP, the financial media company which was rumored to have been for sale more than a few times over the years. We can't know, therefore, the final dimensions of this big life. But for the sake of competitive drama and the celebration of a unique business model, we can step back and take the measure of the money machine called Bloomberg LP, which stands as a monument to the founder's creativity and drive. Bloomberg LP is a private business, nearly 68 percent owned by Mike (which is what we'll usually call him to distinguish him from the enterprise). It is a Wall Street juggernaut that has pummeled competitors and changed the way financial information is provided to customers. The secret: a sharp focus on delivering an ever-improving product and backing it up with unremitting attention to customer service. The company has also been a mother lode for Mike. It gave him the wealth to run for mayor, would let him single-handedly fund a campaign for President if he chooses to run, and will pave his road to large-scale philanthropy. Bloomberg's money machine [Fortune]