Oh, the World Economic Forum at Davos. It’s an annual meeting of some of our greatest economic minds. And a public-relations minefield, if you’re the CEO of one of America’s Too Big To Fail financial institutions. “They don’t want be seen skiing or with a drink in their hand,” one reputation strategist told The Wall Street Journal this week. You know how economists are. You can hardly go anywhere without one of them thrusting a glass of Champagne or a Slavic hooker into your hands. Nonetheless! Representatives of some of America’s largest financial institutions are bravely soldiering forth, including Vikram Pandit of Citigroup, Brian Moynihan of Bank of America, and John Mack of Morgan Stanley. But one chiseled face is conspicuously missing: Jamie Dimon, the famously saintlike, morally secure CEO of JPMorgan.
Why would Dimon skip out on such an important world event? Because he was having lunch with Obama today? Because he wants to conserve on fuel from the corporate jet, which is damaging to the ozone whosawhatsit? Because he promised he’d take his Little Brother on a fishing trip this week? Unclear. The bank declined to comment on Dimon’s absence, but a source tells us that Dimon, who had lunch with Obama today, “needed to focus on running the business.” AHA. WORKING. The best excuse of all. This man is crafty.
In Davos, Return of the Bankers [WSJ]
Commercial Or Private? Here’s How Top Banking Executives Are Getting To Davos [Business Insider]
