Mike Bloomberg owns condo in Trump-managed building, report says
Democratic hopeful and New York billionaire Michael Bloomberg owns a condo in a property managed by Donald Trump’s company, according to a new report.
The billionaire bought the New York City unit for a reported $3.8m in 2000, just as he prepared for his first run for mayor of the city — and nearly two decades before he would mount his current longshot bid to challenge Mr Trump for the White House.
The property was reported by Crain’s New York Business, and underscores that the two billionaires were once close, even as Mr Bloomberg has attempted to distance himself from the president who has become anathema to Democrats.
The former New York City mayor is now attempting to use his considerable personal fortune to force Mr Trump out of the Oval Office, and has claimed on the campaign trail that he is best suited to take on Mr Trump come November.
Mr Trump has repeatedly bashed Mr Bloomberg during the past several months on Twitter and during his rallies, calling him short and mocking him for his seemingly poor performance during Wednesday night’s debate in Las Vegas.
“Mini Mike Bloomberg’s debate performance tonight was perhaps the worst in the history of debates, and there have been some really bad ones,” Mr Trump tweeted shortly after that event, in which Mr Bloomberg was targeted on all sides with attacks for his business record and apparent misogynistic remarks to female subordinates.
“He was stumbling, bumbling and grossly incompetent,” Mr Trump continued. “If this doesn’t knock him out of the race, nothing will. Not so easy to do what I did!”
Mini Mike Bloomberg’s debate performance tonight was perhaps the worst in the history of debates, and there have been some really bad ones. He was stumbling, bumbling and grossly incompetent. If this doesn’t knock him out of the race, nothing will. Not so easy to do what I did!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)
Mr Bloomberg’s condo is located at 610 Park Avenue in the Manhattan borough of the city, and is reportedly now worth close to $6.2m.
The pair were considerably more friendly back when the property was purchased, in a relationship that appears to have extended through Mr Trump’s controversial 2016 campaign.
“Yes, Donald, I do love you,” he appears to have told Mr Trump a month after his election, according to a video of the exchange.
Mr Trump, for his part, has noted that Mr Bloomberg previously called him a “New York icon”.
Read more
Can a bruised Bloomberg still buy the Democratic nomination?
