Billionaire presidential hopeful Ross Perot dead at 89

Washington, Jul 9 (AFP) Ross Perot, the self-made billionaire and computer industry giant whose two runs for president as an independent candidate shook up American politics, has died at age 89, the Dallas Morning News reported Tuesday.

The trailblazing Texan died after a five-month battle with leukemia, the paper said.

Perot's shockingly strong performance as a third-party candidate in the 1992 presidential race helped seal Democrat Bill Clinton's victory over incumbent George HW Bush. (AFP) RUP