Story highlights Bloomberg's pitch is unusual as it's not coming from a party stalwart 
 
 The former New York mayor once considered an independent bid for the White House himself 
 
 Philadelphia (CNN) Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg offered Hillary Clinton his resounding endorsement Wednesday night, emerging as her most prominent independent surrogate as he tore into fellow billionaire businessman Donald Trump. 
 
 Speaking on the third night of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Bloomberg slammed Trump's business record and called the Republican nominee a "dangerous demagogue" who must be stopped in an explicit appeal to independent voters across the country. 
 
 "When I enter the voting booth each time, I look at the candidate, not the party label," Bloomberg, who has had various political affiliations, said in his prime-time speech. "There are times when I disagree with Hillary Clinton. But let me tell you, whatever our disagreements may be, I've come here to say: We must put them aside for the good of our country. And we must unite around the candidate who can defeat a dangerous demagogue." 
 
 Bloomberg used his perspective as a businessman, New Yorker and former mayor to hit Trump from multiple angles. 
 
 "I'm a New Yorker, and New Yorkers know a con when we see one," he said to cheers from the audience. 
 
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 Michael Bloomberg, the self-made billionaire and former Republican mayor of New York City, on Wednesday night told the Democratic National Convention that Hillary Clinton must be elected for the good of the country. 
 
 Bloomberg, now an independent, said that he is not endorsing the Democratic Party platform, going so far as to say that Democrats too often blame the private sector for economic troubles, and are obstructionists on issues of education reform and deficit reduction. 
 
 But he also said that he believes Trump is a “dangerous demagogue” who must be defeated, and that not all business experience is created equal. 
 
 “Most of us who have created a business know that we’re only as good as the way our employees, clients and partners view us,” Bloomberg explained. “Most of us don’t pretend we’re smart enough to make every big decision by ourselves. And most of us who have our names on the door know that we are only as good as our word, but not Donald Trump.” 
 
 Bloomberg ripped Trump’s business history, including his multiple bankruptcies and approximately 3,500 lawsuits. The current Bloomberg LP CEO also added that he didn’t need a million dollar check from his father to start his company. 
 
 “Trump says he wants to run the nation like he’s run his business. God help us. I’m a New Yorker, and I know a con when I see one.” 
 
 Bloomberg had given serious thought to running for president himself, and was viewed by many as a moderate alternative in the event of a Bernie Sanders nomination by the Democrats. By March, however, Bloomberg had determined that his candidacy would be futile, resulting in the election of either Trump or Sen. Ted Cruz; which he referred to as “a risk I can’t take in good conscience.”
– Perhaps in an effort to fight fire with fire, the Democratic National Convention welcomed its own New York billionaire to the stage Wednesday night. As a former Republican and current Independent, former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg came out against parts of the Democratic platform but fully against Donald Trump, Fortune reports. “Trump says he wants to run the nation like he’s run his business," Bloomberg said. "God help us. I’m a New Yorker, and I know a con when I see one.” He brought up Trump's history of lawsuits and bankruptcies. “The richest thing about Donald Trump is his hypocrisy," Bloomberg said. Advisers tell CNN that Bloomberg was using his speech to reach out to "independents, moderates, and swing voters." “I look at the candidate, not the party label," he said. And while he doesn't support everything Hillary Clinton does, Bloomberg said she's far and away better than the alternative. “We must unite around the candidate who can defeat a dangerous demagogue," he said.