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The Many Lives of Michael Bloomberg
This authoritative and anecdote-filled biography of Michael Bloomberg—2020 presidential candidate and one of the richest and famously private/public figures in the country—is a “masterful work…[and] an absolutely first-rate study of leadership in business, politics, and philanthropy” (Doris Kearns Goodwin, Pulitzer Prize–winning author) from a veteran New York Times reporter.
Michael Bloomberg’s life sounds like an exaggerated version of The American Story, except his adventures are real.
From modest Jewish middle class (and Eagle Scout) to Harvard MBA to Salomon Brothers hot shot (where he gets “sent upstairs” and later fired) to creator of the Bloomberg terminal, a machine that would change Wall Street and the financial universe and make him a billionaire, to presidential candidate in 2020, Randolph’s account of Bloomberg’s life reads almost like a novel.
“A vivid, timely study of Bloomberg’s brand of plutocracy” ( Publishers Weekly ), this engaging and insightful biography recounts Mayor Bloomberg’s vigorous approach to New York City’s care—including his attempts at education reform, anti-smoking and anti-obesity campaigns, climate control, and new developments across the city.
After he engineered a surprising third term as Mayor, Bloomberg returned to his business and philanthropies that focused increasingly on cities. The chapter that describes this is one of the most revealing of his temperament and energy and vision as well as how he spends his “private” time that was virtually off-limits even when he was mayor.
Bloomberg promised to give away his money before he died, and his giving has focused on education, gun control, and a fighting climate change. He joined the 2020 presidential campaign as a moderate liberal and spent his millions focused on ousting President Donald Trump.
Michael Bloomberg’s life sounds like an exaggerated version of The American Story, except his adventures are real.
From modest Jewish middle class (and Eagle Scout) to Harvard MBA to Salomon Brothers hot shot (where he gets “sent upstairs” and later fired) to creator of the Bloomberg terminal, a machine that would change Wall Street and the financial universe and make him a billionaire, to presidential candidate in 2020, Randolph’s account of Bloomberg’s life reads almost like a novel.
“A vivid, timely study of Bloomberg’s brand of plutocracy” ( Publishers Weekly ), this engaging and insightful biography recounts Mayor Bloomberg’s vigorous approach to New York City’s care—including his attempts at education reform, anti-smoking and anti-obesity campaigns, climate control, and new developments across the city.
After he engineered a surprising third term as Mayor, Bloomberg returned to his business and philanthropies that focused increasingly on cities. The chapter that describes this is one of the most revealing of his temperament and energy and vision as well as how he spends his “private” time that was virtually off-limits even when he was mayor.
Bloomberg promised to give away his money before he died, and his giving has focused on education, gun control, and a fighting climate change. He joined the 2020 presidential campaign as a moderate liberal and spent his millions focused on ousting President Donald Trump.
496 pages, Paperback
Published March 16, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
February 4, 2020
This is a reporter’s biography, characterized by information over interpretation. Most of the chapters are topical like articles in monthly or weekly magazines. There is good balance for Bloomberg’s “many lives”: his upbringing/youth, his education, and his business and political life. Once constant throughout his life is that he is a decisive workaholic. He is not afraid to innovate - be it to create an information terminal for Merrill Lynch in a matter of months or to embark on new approaches to homelessness.
New, to me, was how he built his business and its actual size. Bloomberg is an around the clock executive and expects long hours of others, whom he pays very well. Without office walls, executives and managers work in a “bit bull” arrangement which forces collaboration. Bloomberg LP has shed its “animal house” style past, but carries litigation based on gender discrimination. In proportion, it is nothing like the sex for career systems reported and litigated at Fox and Miramax.
The “life” of mayor is the longest section. The book covers
- health (credits Bloomberg extending the lives of NYers by 3 years)
- police (stop and frisk and other policies),
- the info systems (establishing a new 911 system and presiding over the overruns of City-Time),
- taxes (big hike and then a rebate)
- the High Line (for which he should have full credit),
- finishing the 9/11 memorial in time for the 10th anniversary which the state, not the city, was responsible (he used his own money to make it happen).
- establishing a university to provide specialized technical education to meet the needs of the City's employers.
- improving transportation (more bike lanes) and air quality (eliminating coal as a fuel).
- trying new methods to alleviate poverty (NYC’s homelessness rate grew more slowly than other big cities).
- And more
I was most impressed with his education policies. After eliminating several levels of administration, he moved the central offices closer to City Hall and put an actual functioning school in its building. His most effective change, as measured by achievement scores, was closing NYC’s mega-schools (had to withstand campaigns by alumni and students) and open smaller ones. Smaller schools proved themselves worthy of the fight in producing higher scores. Randolpf seems to discount the achievement when the tests were made harder, but it appears to be a solid gain. As a result, middle class in NYC parents can rely on the public schools where in other cities they seek out private schools.
Randolpf clearly shows how Bloomberg’s 3rd term was engineered (I didn’t know this was possible) and touches on (but doesn’t show the source of) DeBlasio’s animosity toward him.
The chapters on his post-mayoral life show (2017) show him catching up on Bloomberg LP which has changed tremendously since his absence. The last chapter coves his initial presidential bid. As of the book’s publication it was cancelled, but since revived. You get a feel for how it will be … Bloomberg will not be bullied by Trump… and the people he will use to get his message out.
This is recommended for its information content. While not authorized, the author had access and it has far more substance than the typical campaign biography.
New, to me, was how he built his business and its actual size. Bloomberg is an around the clock executive and expects long hours of others, whom he pays very well. Without office walls, executives and managers work in a “bit bull” arrangement which forces collaboration. Bloomberg LP has shed its “animal house” style past, but carries litigation based on gender discrimination. In proportion, it is nothing like the sex for career systems reported and litigated at Fox and Miramax.
The “life” of mayor is the longest section. The book covers
- health (credits Bloomberg extending the lives of NYers by 3 years)
- police (stop and frisk and other policies),
- the info systems (establishing a new 911 system and presiding over the overruns of City-Time),
- taxes (big hike and then a rebate)
- the High Line (for which he should have full credit),
- finishing the 9/11 memorial in time for the 10th anniversary which the state, not the city, was responsible (he used his own money to make it happen).
- establishing a university to provide specialized technical education to meet the needs of the City's employers.
- improving transportation (more bike lanes) and air quality (eliminating coal as a fuel).
- trying new methods to alleviate poverty (NYC’s homelessness rate grew more slowly than other big cities).
- And more
I was most impressed with his education policies. After eliminating several levels of administration, he moved the central offices closer to City Hall and put an actual functioning school in its building. His most effective change, as measured by achievement scores, was closing NYC’s mega-schools (had to withstand campaigns by alumni and students) and open smaller ones. Smaller schools proved themselves worthy of the fight in producing higher scores. Randolpf seems to discount the achievement when the tests were made harder, but it appears to be a solid gain. As a result, middle class in NYC parents can rely on the public schools where in other cities they seek out private schools.
Randolpf clearly shows how Bloomberg’s 3rd term was engineered (I didn’t know this was possible) and touches on (but doesn’t show the source of) DeBlasio’s animosity toward him.
The chapters on his post-mayoral life show (2017) show him catching up on Bloomberg LP which has changed tremendously since his absence. The last chapter coves his initial presidential bid. As of the book’s publication it was cancelled, but since revived. You get a feel for how it will be … Bloomberg will not be bullied by Trump… and the people he will use to get his message out.
This is recommended for its information content. While not authorized, the author had access and it has far more substance than the typical campaign biography.
December 17, 2019
The book covers a lot of the many successes and ambitions of Michael Bloomberg. The author is a sympathetic voice, if not an outright fan girl of the former mayor. The result is a book that is not quite a fluff piece but certainly one that gives Bloomberg the benefit of the doubt when discussing his ocassional failures and less common human failings.
Randolph acknowledges Bloombergs' various foibles but she makes many of them seem like charming eccentricities. I suspect some of them are quite boorish up close and personal. A lot of Bloomberg's success in politics is the rsult of keeping those warts out of the public eye. Being able to write checks and draft Non Disclosure agreements have helped there.
I read the book because I was curious about what his intentions are in running for president. The book had the misofrtune of going to press after Bloomberg had ruled out such a run and before he changed his mind on that subject. THere are two important take aways notwithstanding that limitation-Bloomberg is a very ambitious man and he's also somebody that listens to the data-usually.
The most persistent theme of Bloomberg's many lives is tha the always has a Plan B. . I'm left believeing that he wants to be President. But he wouldn't spend the hundreds of millions dollars he is in the process of spending without considering the alternatives to outright success. He probably belives that he can help shpe the nominating process and build the infrastructure that will be needed to beat Trump next year. I wish him well, on that last point at least.
Randolph acknowledges Bloombergs' various foibles but she makes many of them seem like charming eccentricities. I suspect some of them are quite boorish up close and personal. A lot of Bloomberg's success in politics is the rsult of keeping those warts out of the public eye. Being able to write checks and draft Non Disclosure agreements have helped there.
I read the book because I was curious about what his intentions are in running for president. The book had the misofrtune of going to press after Bloomberg had ruled out such a run and before he changed his mind on that subject. THere are two important take aways notwithstanding that limitation-Bloomberg is a very ambitious man and he's also somebody that listens to the data-usually.
The most persistent theme of Bloomberg's many lives is tha the always has a Plan B. . I'm left believeing that he wants to be President. But he wouldn't spend the hundreds of millions dollars he is in the process of spending without considering the alternatives to outright success. He probably belives that he can help shpe the nominating process and build the infrastructure that will be needed to beat Trump next year. I wish him well, on that last point at least.
November 12, 2019
This book is meticulously researched while being very readable. I hope Mike does run for president!
November 19, 2021
Solid- thought the writer was slightly slanted towards bloomy but it’s interesting to see his view of cities as experimental playgrounds
January 14, 2023
For anyone even moderately interested in the life of Michael Bloomberg, this is a fascinating read. In-depth,, well-researched, balanced, well-constructed. Bloomberg comes off as larger than life, but my sense is that’s because he is that way. While she writes a generally positive profile of Bloomberg, Randolph doesn’t try to whitewash his failures or missteps; I would say it’s fairly even-handed. A very thorough, nuanced portrait of a fascinating man.
November 28, 2019
Great and comprehensive overview of Bloomberg's life in business, politics and philanthropy. As far as ball and strike are concerned, Randolph calls a fair game addressing both flaws and great achievement. How Bloomberg fares in the Presidential contest is anyone's guess but if you want to know about the man, this is the book to read.
May 5, 2020
An absolute masterpiece! Well researched, well written. An easy and informative read. Enjoyed every page.
February 23, 2020
What could have been an interesting biography was marred by unnecessary repetition. Several times the author told the same story, used the same quotation. TWICE we read, "You don't send a young kid to jail. We don't correct them, although we call it a correction department. We teach them how to be a worse person." Page 209. Also on page 214.
On page 149 we read that water quality improvements "aren't sexy. And no one says thank you." Page 299, it's back. "It's not sexy. Nobody says thank you."
There are countless other instances where the repetition sneaks back in. Regarding the mosque by ground zero, she says none of the first responders asked, "What God do you pray to?" Twice this is quoted. Again and again.
An interesting subject, I would've liked to learn more about him. As he runs for President, this book showed his motivation to do so. This would've been better if it cut out 50 pages and paid for a better editor.
And another review referred to it as a masterpiece! Lol. No.
On page 149 we read that water quality improvements "aren't sexy. And no one says thank you." Page 299, it's back. "It's not sexy. Nobody says thank you."
There are countless other instances where the repetition sneaks back in. Regarding the mosque by ground zero, she says none of the first responders asked, "What God do you pray to?" Twice this is quoted. Again and again.
An interesting subject, I would've liked to learn more about him. As he runs for President, this book showed his motivation to do so. This would've been better if it cut out 50 pages and paid for a better editor.
And another review referred to it as a masterpiece! Lol. No.
March 15, 2020
The Many Lives of Michael Bloomberg is a point in time biography of the man who was running for president. The book covers a bit about each phase of his life focusing mostly on his business and years as Mayor of NYC. It is truly astounding the way he built his fortune and what he figured out before anyone else did at that time. The importance of the Bloomberg information network and what is has become is simply astounding. His time as mayor was a focus on trying to make city government efficient for the health and welfare of his citizens. He was sometimes successful and sometimes not and this book offers a nice and balanced look at where he was and was not successful. For those trying to learn more about where this man came from and what his policies are with a fair lens then this is a great book to start with. I was very impressed with the information presented and the way the book was laid out. Well worth the time if you have an interesting in business or politics.
September 6, 2021
Bloomberg has achieved much and in my view did his best to contribute to society. However this book is a confused and repetetive attempt to shine some light on Bloomberg at best or a cheap undercover PR-book at worst. Whole book is structured topically and written in a readable prose (the author is a journalist and it shows), but offers no systematic dissection of Bloomberg's life or his thought process, and merely provides anectodes mixed with feigned critism. At times it makes a hard attempt to show how everything Bloomberg touched turned into gold, and how his rivals and critics had malicious intent or were incompetent to begin with.
It's a typical book written for a politician or a business man, so reading wikipedia might prove as much insight as this book.
It's a typical book written for a politician or a business man, so reading wikipedia might prove as much insight as this book.
December 28, 2020
I had low expectations of this book but felt I needed to put some non-fiction into the mix. What a read! If you are interested in New York society life, politics and especially the workings of the mayor's office, definitely read this book. It's an excellent lesson in civics and a subject I was very thin on. Bloomberg did his best but often made mistakes and the author does not let him off easy for his failures. She clearly knows Bloomberg but it's still a very fair account of his life. My only criticism is there is not enough written about his ongoing work with Sierra Club and the success of the Beyond Coal movement. Running NYC is one tough job.
March 30, 2020
"The Many Lives of Michael Bloomberg" by New York Times journalist, Eleanor Randolph, covers Bloomberg from his childhood in Medford, Mass., to his years in engineering at John Hopkins then Harvard and through 3 terms as mayor of NYC post 9-11.
Bloomberg went to work on Wall Street and left to ultimately develop a computer analysis system which is still in use today leading to Bloomberg's fortune.
He gives millions away for many causes including repairing the planet.
My summary here does not come close to doing this book justice. It is an amazing story!
Bloomberg went to work on Wall Street and left to ultimately develop a computer analysis system which is still in use today leading to Bloomberg's fortune.
He gives millions away for many causes including repairing the planet.
My summary here does not come close to doing this book justice. It is an amazing story!
February 4, 2021
A man of many talents and interest that appears to have good intentions on most all fronts and has a record of success more often than failure. But a great look at the power of an individual with so much wealth and access to power and what their role for our world could mean. Generally someone that energizes me as an entrepreneur and love his spirit for experimentation and wanting to find solutions. Some great quotable lines for any CEO or individual thinking about positions where making decisions is integral to your work.
March 19, 2020
Disappointing. Mike Bloomberg has contributed so much to New York City and society in general. You get a glimpse of his accomplishments in this book. Yet during Mike’s short presidential campaign, I saw Eleanor Randolph interviewed and she refused to say that he had been a good mayor. That made me question her integrity and her intelligence. I finished the book but thought Randolph had few insights. And she is an incredibly prosaic writer.
April 29, 2020
It took me forever to read this. It is a good review of Bloomberg's career. Even though I live in NYC, I found the review of his years as mayor good. The problem is that in trying to include every single thing Bloomberg has ever said and every single thing people have said about him, it sometimes get bogged down in minutiae. Still, a very well researched book that paints a balanced portrait of Bloomberg.
March 15, 2020
This was a pretty comprehensive biography of the former Mayor. I thoroughly enjoyed the bulk of this book as I didn’t really have any knowledge of his business and mayoral career. The reason I have given this book 4 stars instead of 5 is simply because I do not necessarily agree with some of the politics of Michael Bloomberg.
April 20, 2020
An intriguing read. Well structured, fluidly written. Focussed primarily on his twelve years as mayor. A tremendous cast of characters even by Gotham standards. Insightful on the man and the city. A bit disappointing that the early chapters on his youth and business career were relatively brief. Bosox fans will be happy that this Boston area boy kept his Fenway loyalty.
May 14, 2020
Fine. The book covers a lot of ground, but lacks depth and context, particularly when it comes to politics. For example, almost half of the book covers Bloomberg's time as mayor of NYC but doesn't really locate policy differences between him and his predecessors. The author also oddly avoids being too critical of Bloomberg.
June 8, 2025
Maybe because Bloomberg’s life has been so grand and he’s so accomplished, it felt like this book skimmed over some personal aspects of Bloomberg’s life. The journalism to put this together is still impeccable but I would have been interested in understanding a bit more about his personal relationships and how he grappled with them amidst a very busy work life.
December 19, 2019
Bloomberg might be a successful person, but this book is so boring. Do not waste your time, unless you want to read a textbook-style work. Oh no, some textbooks are written more interesting than this.
December 28, 2019
The author did a great job bringing in Porten details to better understand how Bloomberg thinks and was motivated. I don’t agree with much of what he did but I was able to get through the 15 hour audiobook with relative ease.
October 21, 2019
This is a love fest by an ultra left journalist that pushes that agenda. Bloomberg can do no wrong in her eyes. Her agenda oozes from every page and gets really tiring to read.
November 21, 2019
A great chronicle of his career and a must read if he runs for president.
December 7, 2019
good, but McNickle’s account is written better (Chris McNickle, “Bloomberg: The Billionaire’s Ambition”, 2017)
December 26, 2019
This was a good read of a very interesting person. The book ends just before Bloomberg decides to run for the 2020 Democratic nomination.
December 27, 2019
Outstanding, great inisght into his lufe.
January 23, 2020
Another must read as we head into the 2020 Presidential election.
February 21, 2020
Way too light on Bloomberg LP
March 2, 2020
Great background on Bloomberg. A little repetitive, especially towards the end, but all in all a good read.
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March 26, 2020Excellent picture of this amazing man's life. I would have felt very confident had he won the democratic primary. Alas --- not to be.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews