Here's How the CEO of the Biggest Bank in the U.S. Spends His Downtime: 'This Gives Me Purpose in Life' JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, 69, recently said that his top three priorities are his family, his country, and his purpose, which is working at the bank — in that order.
By Sherin Shibu Edited by Melissa Malamut
Key Takeaways
- JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, 69, says his top hobbies are spending time with family, barbecuing, and reading.
- Dimon said that he plans to keep leading the bank as long as he has the "energy."
- With assets of $3.9 trillion, JPMorgan is the biggest U.S. bank.
When he's not leading the largest bank in the U.S., JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, 69, spends his spare time reading, hiking, and traveling with family.
On an episode of the "Acquired" podcast released Wednesday, Dimon said that in his "hierarchy of life," his top three priorities were his family, his country, and his purpose, which is working at the bank, in that order. Dimon, who has three adult daughters and seven grandchildren, said that one of his daughters recently told him to get some hobbies.
"And I said, 'I do. Hanging out with you, family travel, barbecuing, wine,'" Dimon said on the podcast.
Related: JPMorgan Will Fire Junior Bankers Over a Common Practice That CEO Jamie Dimon Calls 'Unethical'
He also stated that he enjoys reading, learning history, and going hiking.
"I don't buy fancy cars and stuff like that, but this gives me purpose in life beyond family and beyond country," Dimon explained in the interview.
And some former hobbies must be kept in he past. Dimon said that he stopped playing tennis because of his back, and he doesn't play golf — he can't even picture himself playing the sport.
JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon. Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Dimon, who is frequently asked about his succession and retirement plans, also said on the podcast that he plans to keep running the bank as long as he has the "energy," without giving a specific timeline. At JPMorgan's Investor Day last year, Dimon said his retirement was "less than five years" away and that the company was looking into finding a successor.
Now, Dimon says on the podcast that when he is done leading JPMorgan, he will "teach and write" and maybe "write a book."
"I have got to do something," he said. "I'm not going to twiddle my thumbs and smell the flowers."
Many Wall Street executives have hobbies. Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon has been a DJ since 2015, according to his Instagram account. He stopped taking DJ gigs in 2023, though, after Goldman board members expressed concern that the hobby would distract him from his CEO job.
Apple CEO Tim Cook enjoys cycling and rock climbing, while Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is famously into combat sports.
JPMorgan is the biggest bank in the U.S., with assets of $3.9 trillion. With a market value of over $800 billion, JPMorgan is worth more than its three biggest competitors, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, and Bank of America, combined. In the first half of the year, the leading bank achieved $30 billion in profit.
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