Billionaire Says Bloomberg Fabricated His Quote About Americans Needing To Have A 'Smaller Existence'
Facebook Last week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Florida billionaire Jeff Greene created a stir when he reportedly suggested that Americans need to downsize their lifestyle .
"America's lifestyle expectations are far too high and need to be adjusted so we have less things and a smaller, better existence," Greene told Bloomberg News' Matthew G. Miller in an interview last week. "We need to reinvent our whole system of life."
Miller pointed out that Greene flew to the elite economic gathering on his private jet with his his wife Mei Sze, children, and their nanny.
In an interview with CNBC's "Closing Bell" on Wednesday, Greene said that he "was completely misquoted," not misunderstood. He also said that the comments were made in a "busy, noisy room" and "maybe [Miller] didn't hear me."
A rep for Bloomberg News says that the company stands by its reporting.
The 60-year-old Palm Beach resident has an estimated net worth of $3 billion, according to Forbes. He reportedly owns five mansions and a megayacht.
In 2010, Greene attempted to run for United States Senate as a Democrat.
He has also signed Warren Buffett and Bill Gates' "Giving Pledge," which encourages the super-wealthy to give a large percentage of their income to charity.
Here are some photos of Greene's private jet:
Photos courtesy of Jetnet LLC
Photos courtesy of Jetnet LLC
Photos courtesy of Jetnet LLC
Photos courtesy of Jetnet LLC
Photos courtesy of Jetnet LLC
Photos courtesy of Jetnet LLC
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