Goldman Technology Chief Joins Bloomberg Presidential Campaign

(Bloomberg) -- One of Wall Street’s top tech executives is helping former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s long-shot bid to clinch the Democratic presidential nomination.

Elisha Wiesel, Goldman Sachs Group Inc.’s co-chief information officer, is joining the Bloomberg presidential campaign next month, to bolster its technology push. He previously announced he would depart the Wall Street firm at the end of this year.

Wiesel becomes the most prominent Wall Street executive to join the Bloomberg campaign, which plans to spend $100 million on a digital advertising campaign in key states as well as an ambitious drive to register new voters. Bloomberg reversed his earlier decision not to run in 2020, joining a crowded Democratic line-up vying to win the presidential primary.

Elisha is the son of Nobel peace laureate Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor who spoke out against violence and racism. The 47-year-old spent more than 20 years at Goldman Sachs, including its commodities trading unit J. Aron.

“I believe in Mike and I believe in the power of data,” Wiesel said in an e-mailed statement. “There is an amazing team of tech-forward leaders and data science practitioners assembled already.”

Bloomberg is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News. He served as New York’s mayor for three terms. A Quinnipiac University poll released last week showed Joe Biden, the former vice president, as the race’s leader with 30% support, while Bloomberg ranks fifth at 7%.

A spokeswoman for the Bloomberg campaign confirmed that Wiesel is joining.

Goldman Sachs stands out on Wall Street for the relative frequency with which its leaders grab political roles after their time at the firm. Four of its last five chief executives have served in a White House administration, and multiple recent executives have worked for President Donald Trump.

To contact the reporter on this story: Sridhar Natarajan in New York at snatarajan15@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Michael J. Moore at mmoore55@bloomberg.net, Daniel Taub

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