What’s a democracy worth? A year ago, before mike arrived on the scene, Bloomberg pledged a half billion to vanquishing Trump. In Virginia, over the past three years, he spent $3.5 million to help flip the statehouse to Democrats, whose gun-control advocates now speak of him with reverence. So far this year, Bloomberg has spent $50 million to pepper online platforms with advertising. Now, mike is in your Facebook feed. He’s in your Google search results. Every time you glance at the television, he’s there. The 2020 presidential candidates have spent $26 million on TV ads in Texas alone; 80 percent of that was for mike, according to Advertising Analytics. One ad cost $4.3 million all by itself, and said that mike has “la fuerza para enfrentar a Trump” (the strength to face Trump).

He’s created an entire economy. mike’s campaign officially began 13 weeks ago, but already Bloomberg has spent more on his campaign than the Texas city of Arlington (population: 400,000) has in its annual budget. The least senior members of his staff of 2,000 make $6,000 a month (nearly twice their counterparts’ wages on Team Warren and Team Sanders). He has deployed an army of meme makers, enlisted mural artists to transform campaign spaces and hired at least one comedian to secretly punch up his speeches. This past weekend he zoomed to Super Tuesday states in private jets to headline campaign events with free booze and barbecue.

He knows money might not buy him love, but maybe it can buy him like.