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Michael Bloomberg isn't exactly a fashion plate. Although he's expressed a fondness for all things Paul Stuart and now has his suits custom-made (with tiny holes in the lapels for his apple-shaped NYC pin), he's never seemed to enjoy discussing his sartorial preferences, nor expressed much interest in clothes shopping. (He reportedly sets aside half an hour several times a year to buy things in bulk.) Then, of course, he's had some truly horrifying fashion moments, like a baggy tan shorts and bright white socks combo in 2006. But there is one accessory he apparently has a weakness for: ties! The most comprehensive, detailed investigation into the mayor's neckwear after the jump.

The obvious question: How many ties does Bloomberg actually have? That's hard to say, but it's worth noting that he doesn't repeat ties all that often, and a quick perusal of photos over the last few years suggests it has to be in the hundreds, if not the thousands.

Not that his tie habit will put a dent in his wallet any time soon. With his net worth now estimated at as much as $20 billiion, he could afford to walk into Hermès on 57th Street and leave with 115 million little orange boxes. And it isn't as if his townhouse on East 79th Street will run out of room accommodating his neckwear fetish.

We won't try and address the next most obvious question and list off his favorite brands—feel free to email us if you're a tie expert and spot any trends. But we can tell you that red is, by far, his favorite color. The runners-up: blue and purple. In fact, there's a 90 percent likelihood on any given day that his tie will be red, blue or purple.

A sampling of Bloomberg's collection is below. Want a huge copy to print out for your cubicle wall? Of course you do! Click here to download a PDF.

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