Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has qualified for this week's Democratic presidential debate in Nevada, his campaign said in a statement, putting him on the same stage as his rivals in the race for the party's nomination for the first time.
A late entry to the race, Mr Bloomberg, 78, has risen in public opinion polls as he pours money from his estimated $60 billion personal fortune into a national campaign, spending hundreds of millions of dollars on television adverts.
Tomorrow night's debate will be the ninth in the campaign to find a Democratic challenger to President Donald Trump in the 3 November election, while the caucuses in Nevada on Saturday will be the third.
The first two produced a split verdict, with Pete Buttigieg edging Bernie Sanders in Iowa and Mr Sanders narrowly beating Mr Buttigieg in New Hampshire.
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When he takes the stage tomorrow, Mr Bloomberg is likely to be challenged directly by rivals over his use as mayor of a policing policy widely seen as discriminatory and of supposed sexist practices at his company.
"There's a lot to talk about with Michael Bloomberg," former vice president and candidate for the nomination Joe Biden told NBC's 'Meet the Press' on Sunday.
Mr Bloomberg had support from 19% of the people surveyed in a NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll released today.
With that result, he met the Democratic Party's requirements for debate qualification by receiving double-digit support in four national polls recognised by the party, his campaign said in a statement.
While Mr Bloomberg is not competing in the first four nomination contests - Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina - he hopes to start winning delegates beginning on Super Tuesday on 3 March, when 14 states will vote.
At least five other candidates have qualified for the debate ahead of the Nevada caucuses: Mr Biden, Mr Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar and Mr Buttigieg.
Ms Warren and Mr Sanders have claimed that Mr Bloomberg is trying to buy the election.
He has responded by saying he is playing by the rules and has offered to fund the Democratic effort to beat Mr Trump even if he does not win the nomination.
He will likely be questioned about his support while New York mayor of the controversial 'stop and frisk' policing strategy, which targeted African Americans and Latinos disproportionately.
He apologised for that policy just before announcing he was running for the Democratic presidential nomination.
He has also expressed regret over making inappropriate jokes.
"Did I ever tell a bawdy joke? Yeah, sure I did. And do I regret it? Yes. It's embarrassing," Mr Bloomberg told ABC's "The View" on 15 January. "But, you know, that's the way I grew up."
