Billionaire philanthropist and two-time presidential candidate Ross Perot has died. He was 89 years old.
A representative for the Perot family told reporters Tuesday he died after a five-month battle with leukemia.
Perot became a self-made billionaire after starting two software companies that eventually sold for billions of dollars each. He was well known for sharing his fortune with his family, community and charitable endeavors.
He ran for president in 1992 as an independent candidate. He ended up with nearly 19% of the vote — the most for an independent or third-party candidate in decades. He ran again in 1996 on a new Reform Party ticket but didn't fare nearly as well.
Perot is survived by his wife, five children and 16 grandchildren.
Additional reporting from Newsy affiliate CNN.
