Could Bloomberg beat them both? Billionaire ex-mayor of NYC says he is actively considering running as an independent because the American public deserve 'a lot better'

Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire former mayor of New York City, confirmed on Monday that he is actively considering running for president as an independent.

In a dramatic interview, the 73-year-old said he was 'looking at all the options' and expressed disgust at the current state of the White House race.

Bloomberg would be the richest candidate in American political history with a fortune of $36 billion, dwarfing the resources of Republican Donald Trump and enabling him to self-fund a campaign many times over.

He could also neutralize Trump's most celebrating selling point: that he's the only presidential candidate who's so rich that he can't be 'bought' by special-interest donors. 

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TRIAL BALLOON? Michael Bloomberg, who met British Prime Minister David Cameron in London on Monday, confirmed he is actively looking at running for the White House

COMPETITION: Republican Donald Trump (left) and Democrat Hillary Clinton (right) are their parties' front-runners and it's unclear how a Bloomberg splash would reshuffle the presidential race

Ruined relationship: 'You know, we used to be friends. I guess we're not friends anymore,' said Trump recenrly. Today he said he would relish Bloomberg running - because it would cause chaos to the Democrats

He's in: ''I’ve known him for a long time and we’ve been friends and I would love to see him run because I like the competition, and I think it would be a little hard for him to do very well,' Trump said.

Bloomberg told the Financial Times: 'I find the level of discourse and discussion distressingly banal and an outrage and an insult to the voters.'

He said the public deserves 'a lot better,' adding that he was 'listening to what candidates are saying' and that he would have to move by the start of next month to have his name put on general election ballots.

Bloomberg, who won three terms in office as mayor of the Big Apple, was in London on Monday to meet British Prime Minister David Cameron.

Individuals identifying themselves as Bloomberg aides were heard Sunday night at two different Super Bowl parties in Manchester, New Hampshire – one thrown by Jeb Bush loyalists and another attended by Hillary Clinton supporters – saying that they were sniffing around and surveying the landscape for their boss.

One reportedly said Bloomberg had 'not yet' declared his candidacy, suggesting it was only a matter of timing. 

A late entry into the White House sweepstakes would dramatically alter the balance of power in what would otherwise be a simple left-versus-right matchup in November.

Conventional wisdom holds that Bloomberg would split the Democrats' support in two since his politics are more liberal than conservative.

Bloomberg is a major funder of gun control efforts and famously clamped down on New Yorkers' eating and drinking habits with strict limits on salt in restaurants and the allowable sizes of fountain soft drinks.

His efforts earned him the nickname 'Nanny Bloomberg,' a label Republicans would be quick to bring out of retirement if he should become a viable candidate.

Family first: Bloomberg's daughters Emma (second from left) and Georgina (third from left) look on as their father took an oath of office for his third term as mayor in 2010

'Bloom'ing business: Vast bulk of Bloomberg's $36 billion wealth comes from his ownership of Bloomberg LP which now has 192 offices around the world and employs 15,000 people

Perversely, an earnest campaign by the former mayor could help elect a GOP president if the promise of big-government interventions drew support away from the Democratic Party's nominee.

That may be why Trump told Fox News Channel host Neil Cavuto on Monday that Bloomberg would be welcome in the race.

''I’ve known him for a long time and we’ve been friends and I would love to see him run because I like the competition, and I think it would be a little hard for him to do very well,' Trump said.

'But you never know what’s going to happen in the world of politics. He’s very very weak on the Second Amendment, he’s very weak on immigration, and a couple of other things that I think you have to be strong on.'

'I think he’d have a huge impact against the Democrats,' The Donald added, saying that while he considers Bloomberg a long-shot to enter the race, 'if he did run I’d be very happy about it.'

It's also possible that Bloomberg's storied Wall Street heritage – he began his career at Salomon Brothers before hanging his own shingle – and big-business sensibilities could alienate liberal voters who consider him part of the dreaded 'one per cent.'

Bloomberg has missed his chance to enter the race as a Democrat since the party's deadlines for running in 35 of the 50 state-level primary elections are in the rear-view mirror.

A Democrat who jumped in today could only hope to run in 15 states, five U.S. territories and the District of Columbia. Even winning all of those contests outright, a candidate would fall short of the number of convention delegates required to claim the nomination.

Bloomberg's only alternative, then, is to mount a candidacy outside the structure of a political party, or to declare that he's formed his own.

He would then have to satisfy the ballot requirements of elections boards in each of the 50 states, plus D.C. and U.S. territories that send electors to the Electoral College – which actually sends a candidate to the White House.

That's a daunting process involving canvassing for signatures – tens of thousands of them – in every congressional district in the country. 

It also requires a sober assessment of his chances in a crowded field.

The Financial Times reported that Bloomberg's own company polled Iowans in conjunction with The Des Moines Register last month, finding that he was viewed favorably by just 17 per ent of Democratic voters there – and 9 per cent of Republicans.  

An independent run would mark the latest milestone in Bloomberg's tortured history of political party alliances.

A life-long Democrat before getting into politics, he changed his party registration in 2001 so he could run for New York City mayor in 2001, winning office just weeks after the 9/11 terror attacks.

He won a second term in 2005, only to drop out of the Republican Party two years later.

After a successful push to change the city's term-limits law, Bloomberg won a third term in Gracie Mansion as an independent – running on the ballot line reserved for GOP candidates.