Barclays CEO Bob Diamond attended the president’s speech at Cooper Union today. So did Credit Suisse’s investment-banking head Paul Calello. Even Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein had the nuclear balls to show up, despite believing that the government is trying to kill him. Bank of America’s Brian Moynihan and Citi’s Vikram Pandit didn’t show, but that’s because the former is probably in Boston or North Carolina and the latter probably got the dates mixed up. But the real surprise among the missing was White House favorite turned virulent defender of Wall Street’s feelings Jamie Dimon. Was he boycotting? Was he at home, laptop balanced on his knees, poised to write a withering critique of the speech for his next op-ed, only to dissolve into tears and mouth, “I’m sorry, I love you” when Obama got to that part about not always seeing eye to eye or agreeing, but also not having to choose between two extremes? Actually, no. He just had a prior commitment. A little speech of his own, actually, in Chicago, his former stomping grounds, where he was being awarded the honor of “International Executive of the Year,” by something called the Executives’ Club Board of Directors, which, if you haven’t heard of it, is, you know, a bigger deal than the local rotary club. “He couldn’t not go,” a J.P. Morgan spokesperson explains to Daily Intel. So, sorry, Bam. Jamie will have to catch you next time.
Who’s Who of Wall St. at Obama’s Speech [DealBook/NYT]
JPMorgan Chase leader Jamie Dimon to make triumphant return to Chicago [Chicago Tribune]