Ross Perot, Billionaire and Former Politician, Dead at 89

Ross Perot, Billionaire and Former Politician, Dead at 89

Texas billionaire Ross Perot -- who ran for President in 1992 and in 1996 -- is Dead at 89.

According to family spokesman James Fuller, Perot died after a short battle with leukemia.

He had close Rhode Island ties. Former RI Department of Environmental Management Director Andrew McLeod was his nephew and his family had a home in Westerly.

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The entrepreneur originally made his fortune through tech companies Electronic Data Systems and Perot Systems.

He is perhaps best known for launching Independent bids for president in 1992 and 1996.

In the '92 race, he won no electoral votes but garnered nearly 19% of the popular vote.

Even though his results in the '96 race were less successful, Perot's ideas such as deficit reduction stuck around.

The billionaire was also known for his decades of support for U.S. veterans and the military.