Mayor Bloomberg contributed an eye-bulging $420 million to his charitable foundation last year, catapulting it to the 17th largest in the United States, with assets of more than $2.2 billion, according to IRS filings released yesterday.

Bloomberg reported giving away $180 million, largely to combat tobacco use around the world, but also to promote international road safety and to help women in war-torn regions rebuild their lives.

According to the list compiled by the chronicle, Bloomberg’s foundation ranks 17th largest in the nation based on 2009 assets, right below the Robert Woodruff Foundation at $2.4 billion and right above the $2.1 billion Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.

Officials declined to discuss the foundation’s thick filing of more than 100 pages. But in many cases the numbers told the story.

The foundation’s investments spanned the world from the Premier Gold Mines in Thunder Bay, Canada, to Gome Electrical Appliances Holdings in Hong Kong.

More than $75 million was invested in offshore tax havens in the Cayman Islands, Mauritius and Bermuda, allowing the foundation to legally duck some US taxes.

Bloomberg has defended the practice, saying it generates more money for charity.

(Source: NY Post)