Dimon: We have further plans for Greece
Jamie Dimon, board chairman and CEO of the world’s largest systemic bank, JPMorgan Chase, is optimistic about Greece as “it has a rational government that makes rational decisions” and he is thrilled Greece has its first startup with a value of over $1 billion.
In an interview with Kathimerini, Dimon referred to Athens-based payments fintech Viva Wallet, in which JPMorgan has agreed to buy a 49% stake, noting that Greece has talented and educated people who could create other such companies.
He said the investment bank has further plans for Greece, such as the creation of a “hub” for research and technology. Dimon also offered his thoughts on the crucial questions of whether the energy and commodity price spike will continue, and whether cryptocurrencies are a safe investment or merely a bubble.
JPMorgan’s global head of wholesale payments, Takis Georgakopoulos, said in a separate interview that the hub will deal with three issues: cryptography, distributed ledger technology (DLT), artificial intelligence and machine learning related to payment systems.
“These are three areas in which JP Morgan is a leader among banks,” he said. The hub will be created in 2022, once the company has found “the right person to set it up and run it.”
Georgakopoulos said choosing Greece for the installation of a hub, as well as the acquisition of Viva, was not influenced by his or Dimon’s descent.
“Finding scientists who have this specialization is difficult. Hiring such people in Silicon Valley is almost impossible. We have been thinking about Greece for two years.”
