Jamie Dimon, head of JP Morgan Chase & Co. (JPM), on May 31 told Bloomberg that he has considered running for public office once his time at the giant bank has ended. In previous years, speculation about Dimon's ambitions for the U.S. Presidency has prompted the CEO to repeatedly state that he is very fond of the job he already has.
In response to a fresh mention of possible Presidential aspirations, Pershing Square CEO Bill Ackman put his two cents in and shared his thoughts on the bank leader's qualifications. The more than 3,300-character Tweet was full of high praise for the CEO, calling him a "centrist," and writing that "[Dimon] is pro-business and pro-free enterprise, but also supportive of well-designed social programs and rational tax policies that can help the less fortunate."
"He is extremely smart, thoughtful, and pragmatic, and he knows how to bring opposing parties together," Ackman says of Dimon, adding that he's "highly respected by the Right, the Left, and the Center."
Ackman goes on a bit, writing that JP Morgan Chase & Co. has been "superbly managed [...] through every crisis," and that "[Dimon] has built the world's best, large, global financial institution working for clients from startups and mom and pops, to global institutions and countries."
"Our country is at risk with $32 [trillion] of debt with no end to massive deficits in sight," Ackman continues. "[We're] heading into a recession at a time of great political uncertainty. We need an exemplary business, financial, and global leader to manage through what is likely to be a critically important decade for our country[.]"
The post has no shortage of compliments for Dimon -- and plenty to say about his would-be contenders. "[President Biden] is extremely weak and in cognitive decline. [... His] weakness sets up a large opening for a qualified outsider to run as a Democrat," Ackman posits. "[Dimon] can beat Biden in the primary and [Donald Trump] in the general election, but he needs to start now and build name recognition among the broad electorate."
Ackman also thinks that it's his followers' "civic duty" to "build a groundswell of support for him." He urges readers to "give him a call, send him an email, or go see him."
