Billionaire Michael Bloomberg files paperwork for US presidential bid
Billionaire Michael Bloomberg has filed a statement of candidacy for US President in the latest sign the former New York City mayor will join a crowded field of Democrat candidates.
Read more: Billionaire Michael Bloomberg considers possible presidential run
The filing with the Federal Election Committee means the media mogul is able to raise funds for a White House campaign, but an aide said no final decision has been made on whether he will run.
Bloomberg has made a series of moves towards a potential bid for the presidency, and has already registered to appear on the ballot in Alabama, Arkansas and Texas.
A separate advisor told Reuters that Bloomberg has also filed to be on the ballot in Georgia and Michigan.
The 77-year-old has indicated that he plans a late entry in the Democratic primary, where there is already a field of nearly 20 candidates.
Bloomberg would likely bypass some of the earlier voting states, where other candidates have been campaigning for months, and instead focus on the so-called Super Tuesday primaries held in Alabama, Arkansas and Texas.
The tycoon, whose final term as New York mayor ended in 2013, has been a vocal critic of President Donald Trump and has lobbied for an end to his trade war with China, saying it cost jobs and slows innovation.
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Bloomberg, who founded the eponymous media and financial information giant, is the ninth-richest American with an estimated wealth of $54.3bn, according to Forbes.