Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett said he would support fellow billionaire Mike Bloomberg if he jumps into the 2020 presidential race.
“If Mike Bloomberg announced tomorrow that he was a candidate, I would say I’m for him,” Buffett told CNBC on Monday. “I think he would be a very good president.”
Another billionaire’s presidential ambitions did not garner the same response from Buffett. He said former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, who is weighing running as an independent, would only divert votes from Democrats.
“I think generally third-party candidates, they’re going to hurt one side or the other, and they’re more likely to hurt the side that they actually favor, because they’re closer to that view, and so they pull more people away that would otherwise go with the second-best with that view,” he said.
“So I hope no third-party candidate runs,” he added. “I think third-party candidates can thwart, actually, the will of the people.”
Bloomberg, 77, served for three terms as New York City’s mayor. He ran as an independent for his last term in 2009, but was a Republican the first two terms. In October, he switched his party affiliation to Democrat.
Buffett said he doesn’t agree with Bloomberg on all issues, but said his experience qualifies him to be president.
“I think that he knows how to run things. I think he’s got the right goals for America. He understands people. He understands the market system. And he understands the problems of people,” Buffett said.
