David Cameron may be looking over his shoulder to keep an eye on ambitious Boris Johnson but should the Mayor also be looking over his shoulder at Michael Bloomberg?
The Mayor of New York, who has in the past harboured presidential ambitions, seems to be planning a takeover of London. Not only is Bloom-berg, the financial news service he founded, building a massive new headquarters in the City but it is also looking at buying the Financial Times. Bloomberg’s own news service reported this week that the FT’s parent company, Pearson, was considering selling the newspaper for around £1 billion.
It has also been mooted that even if his company doesn’t go for the FT the vastly wealthy Michael Bloomberg could try to buy it out of his own wallet.
Bloomberg already has offices in Finsbury Square but it has commissioned Foster + Partners to build a bespoke HQ on Walbrook Square in the City with a budget of £300 million, due for completion in 2015. Lord Foster’s architectural firm is also, by chance, responsible for City Hall, from which Boris commands the capital.
Walbrook Square would be a perfect location for the Pink ‘Un, which currently has to make do with Southwark as a base. As if that wasn’t close enough for Boris, it’s also worth noting that both his sister Rachel and his brother Jo have worked for the Financial Times.
If Boris is feeling threatened he could always run for the White House, as he is American-born.
