The New York Times once referred to Jamie Dimon as “America’s least-hated banker.” For a Wall Street titan, that’s about as good as it gets.
“Managers Don’t Have All the Answers”
Dimon has been at the helm of JPMorgan Chase, the biggest bank in the United States, for more than 12 years. A straight-talking guy from Queens (albeit a billionaire with an MBA from Harvard Business School), he has led the bank on a steady path of growth, having weathered both the 2008 financial crisis and the “London Whale” trading scandal. Dimon calls that latter episode “the stupidest and most embarrassing situation I have ever been a part of.”
In this edited conversation with HBR’s editor in chief Adi Ignatius, Dimon talks about the public’s view of Wall Street, post-recession regulations, the risk of cyberattacks, globalism, inequity, and the rebuilding of U.S. cities. JPMorgan has a plan to invest $150 million in Detroit by 2019 to help launch small businesses, retrain workers, and revive the property market. It has announced similar investments in underserved areas of Chicago ($40 million) and Washington, DC ($10 million).
“It’s good to help society,” Dimon says. “Our customers love it; our employees love it.”