Bloomberg Is First ‘Jewish Nobel Prize’ Winner

10.22.2013

Billionaire mayor will accept — and regift — the award early next year.

New York City billionaire mayor Michael Bloomberg is the first-ever "Jewish Nobel Prize" winner, the Israeli foundation that runs the new award announced Monday.

Bloomberg beat out 200 other nominees for the $1 million Genesis Prize in honor of his record of public service and philanthropy, the Associated Press reports. The Israeli award, established in 2012, is popularly known as the Jewish Nobel Prize.

Israeli Prime minister Benhamin Netanyahu will present the prize to the mayor, who is nearing the end of his third and final term, early next year, and Bloomberg will say then how he plans to donate the funds.

The Genesis Prize is administrated by a partnership that includes the Israeli prime minister and the semi-governmental Jewish Agency.