January 28, 2013

(JTA) — New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg pledged $350 million to Johns Hopkins University, bringing his total donations to his alma mater to $1.1 billion.

With his pledge announced Sunday, Bloomberg becomes the first person to give more than $1 billion to an American university, according to Johns Hopkins.

Bloomberg, 70, has pledged to give away his $25 billion fortune before he dies, The New York Times reported Sunday. He earned his fortune through his global financial services firm Bloomberg LP. 

Bloomberg, who is Jewish, graduated from Johns Hopkins 49 years ago. His first gift to the Baltimore university was $5 in 1965.
 

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