Michael Bloomberg, the former New York mayor and billionaire media owner, has stated for the first time that he is considering launching a White House bid this year.
Bloomberg, who mulled running in previous elections and has criticized the quality of debate in the 2016 race, told the Financial Times he was "looking at all options" when asked whether he was considering throwing his hat in the ring.
"I find the level of discourse and discussion distressingly banal and an outrage and an insult to the voters," he said, adding that Americans deserved "a lot better."
The comments came after The New York Times reported last month that Bloomberg had instructed advisers to draft plans for a potential independent presidential bid that could see him spend at least US$1 billion of his estimated US$40-billion fortune
