A billionaire running for president recently claimed to be a self-made man. But his life says otherwise.

He was born in a then-public hospital founded by Catholic nuns and built with donations from neighbors and citizens. He attended public schools that were supported by taxpayers, and was shaped by his time as an Eagle Scout, led by a group of male volunteers.

He attended private universities that were funded partly by federal and state monies, and went to work on Wall Street, investing in public utility bonds among other things. He went on to form his own company and tapped technologies such as the Internet that had been developed by the U.S. government and taxpayers. He also built a radio and TV station thanks to publicly-owned airwaves.

Using these benefits, he became fabulously wealthy and raised his profile by leading a public entity, the City of New York. He learned by trial and error and from the generosity of other public servants. As mayor of NYC, he tried to raise scores for public school kids but allegedly did not make much headway. Using the New York Police Department, he instituted a stop-and-frisk policy that targeted minority males.

Throughout his time as mayor, he used cars, SUVs, offices, phones, personnel and other elements paid for by taxpayers. To get around the world, he continues to use public roads, bridges, airports, sea lanes and traffic control towers that are owned by various governments, including the U.S.

Michael Bloomberg has done many wonderful things in his life, including building a private empire that is worth billions of dollars. Yet, he’s also received many gifts from unnamed volunteers, communities, public officials, institutions and from government innovators. It’s OK to acknowledge that fact, as it takes nothing away from his accomplishments.

But he’s not self-made man.