Business magnate and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg reportedly has his sights set on owning the New York Times.
Near the end of his time as mayor, Mr. Bloomber told the Times chairman and publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. that he was interested in buying the newspaper, according to a source with direct knowledge of the conversation, New York Magazine reported Saturday.
Mr. Sulzberger replied that the Times was not for sale.
The previously unreported conversation could be the driving force behind rumors of a Bloomberg-Times deal in wake of a recent round of layoffs at the newspaper.
Both Mr. Bloomberg and Mr. Sulzberger have denied that there has been any conversation on the matter. A spokesperson for Mr. Sulzberger told New York Magazine that he “can’t remember the last time he spoke with Bloomberg.”
But Mr. Bloomberg does seem interested in a deal, New York Magazine reported.
“Mike has muttered a lot about the Times to a lot of people,” a Bloomberg adviser said, the publication reported.
The latest conversation is a stark contrast from Mr. Bloomberg’s public comments on the matter. In March 2012, Mr. Bloomberg brushed off the suggestion saying “Why would I want to buy the Times?”
But a Bloomberg deal could be financially beneficial for the newspaper which announced in October a loss of $9 million compared to a profit of $12.9 million in the third quarter of 2013 driven by the cost of buyouts and layoffs as well as new product investments.
Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim has also expressed an interest in purchasing the Times. Last week, Mr. Slim exercised warrants to become the largest shareholder of the company with a 17 percent stake and told Reuters last July that his holdings in the company are a “financial investment.”
• Kellan Howell can be reached at khowell@washingtontimes.com.
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