To ensure that the financial-reform bill was sufficiently neutered, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon harnessed all of the power of his soulful eyes. He jeopardized his special relationships by criticizing the administration, and, finally, spent $7.7 million, more than any other big bank, on lobbying against it. If taking over Washington Mutual and Bear Stearns in the heart of the crisis made him a household name, watering down the overhaul of the financial-reform bill made him so famous that he is “now commonly referred to by a single name, like Pelé or Madonna,” according to the Times. He is a hero. A giant among men. “Right now, there are virtually no giants on Wall Street except maybe Jamie,” David M. Rubenstein tells the paper. You’d think this would feel good, but no. “Despite his semi-victory, Mr. Dimon says being the chief is less fun these days, now that politics are so intertwined with his job.”
