Silcon Valley Mounts Bloomberg Push

Valley wonks get ready for a possible Bloomberg run

February 6, 2008

2 Min Read
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One name not featured on any Super Tuesday ballots is that of Mike Bloomberg, although the New York City mayor has a significant Silicon Valley fan club.

Despite Bloomberg's assertion that he will not run for the presidency later this year, there is still plenty of speculation that the founder of the Bloomberg media empire will launch a push for the White House in the coming days.

Cue Jon Fisher, the founder and former CEO of authentication specialist Bharosa, which was sold to Oracle for an undisclosed fee last year. The entrepreneur, who is now teaching business at the University of San Francisco and working on a book, is already rallying troops behind Bloomberg, should he decide to run.

"I have been having meetings with execs, both in the Valley and elsewhere, about a potentially transformative campaign for Bloomberg," he says. "We're looking at entrepreneurs and serial entrepreneurs to mount a campaign that will move more quickly and efficiently than a traditional campaign because of their business experience.

"I have met with 100 entrepreneurs and existing and previous CEOs in the last six months, so momentum is mounting," says Fisher, who is aiming to get Bloomberg's name on the ballot in all 50 states in the event of a run.Fisher is convinced that Bloomberg, with his business background and good track record in New York, should throw his hat into the presidential ring. "He has built a financial services empire that has credibility around the world," Fisher asserts. "Everything that he has done in his career, from building Bloomberg to his work in the city of New York and the philanthropic work he has done in healthcare, tells us that everything he does, he does exceptionally well."

The former Bharosa CEO is not the only Silicon Valley type with a keen interest in this year's presidential election. Cisco CEO John Chambers is an adviser on John McCain's presidential bid, prompting speculation that he himself may one day make the leap from California to Capitol.

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  • Bharosa Inc.

  • Cisco Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: CSCO)

  • Oracle Corp. (Nasdaq: ORCL)

  • The StorageIO Group

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