Mr. Bloomberg, 72, has vowed to give away his $32.8 billion fortune before he dies. In doing so, he hopes to sharply reduce high smoking rates in Turkey, Indonesia and other countries; bring down obesity levels in Mexico; reduce traffic in Rio de Janeiro (and Istanbul); improve road safety in India and Kenya; prevent deaths at childbirth to mothers in Tanzania; and organize cities worldwide to become more environmentally friendly and efficient in delivering services.
You have to appreciate the ambition of Bill Gates and Michael Bloomberg. Gates is focusing on fixing third world issues (malaria, polio, extreme poverty, clean water) and Bloomberg is focusing on the first world ones (obesity, smoking, pollution). With all their billions being thrown around, it will make for an interesting next 20-30 years.
I really enjoy Bloomberg’s impatience too.
“I don’t have anything in common with people who stand on escalators,” he said with a sad shake of his head. “I always walk around them — why waste time? You have eternity to rest when you die.”