It’s been a roller coaster last year, but the market rebound has boosted shares of the big banks by nearly 30%, and record pay and bonuses are likely to follow.
The leading one is JPMorgan Chase CEO and Chairman Jamie Dimon is one of the last remaining Wall Street leaders to successfully navigate the 2008 financial crisis, the ensuing Dodd-Frank reform bill and now the artificial intelligence boom. Dimon, who has been at JPMorgan Chase for the past 20 years, is known for rarely cashing out his own stock. With this tendency, he accumulated nearly 8.5 million sharesand began to pare down only a small portion of his stake pre-planned sales In 2024, sales will reach $150 million.
Dimon made approx. 7.3 million shares. with a price per share At $239.71, his stake is valued at approximately $1.8 billion. At the end of 2025, the stock soared to $322.22, pushing the stock value of his holding to about $2.4 billion, meaning Dimon received an appreciation of about $605.6 million, plus another $40 million in dividends. This year he will see 1.5 million stock appreciation rights He will receive vesting thanks to a special one-time award granted to him by the Board of Directors in 2021. All told, Dimon will earn about $770 million from his job in 2025 through stock value gains, dividends and compensation. new york times Verified as wealth Independent Compensation Company Vision Consultant.
“Jamie Dimon has been rewarded for his loyalty, tenure and performance over the years,” said Eric Hoffmann, vice president and chief data officer at Farient. Dimon has amassed a significant stake through a compensation plan, personal purchases and a special 2021 award designed to retain him as the board develops succession plans, Hoffmann noted.
“The stock appreciated by more than a third, and he was a beneficiary along with all JPMorgan shareholders,” Hoffman said.
Dimon’s “actual compensation paid” is a figure determined by the Securities and Exchange Commission as required by regulators ruleit is calculated to be approximately US$227 million in 2024; US$105 million in 2023; in comparison, it will reach US$38 million in 2022.
JPMorgan’s top management isn’t the only place to reap the benefits. Financial services compensation consultancy Johnson Associates says 2025 is a surprisingly positive year for financial firms, despite early concerns that tariffs and geopolitical instability could impact pay. Johnson Associates’ November 2025 report, “An Unexpected Rebound in 2025 in a Changing Industry,” found that compensation across the financial industry exceeded expectations, with increases ranging from 5% to 25%, depending on the role and business unit.
Founder Alan Johnson told wealth Despite early warning signs and uncertainty, 2025 will see an “absolute comeback” for traditional banks. As Johnson said, 2024 was not as strong as it could have been, and people are hopeful for 2025. The results of the tariff cuts weren’t as bad as expected, but many had them rolled back and the second half of the year saw more mergers and acquisitions, deal activity and stock markets hitting new highs.
“The second half is a sprint, and the first few days of the year are still looking really good,” Johnson said.
However, he warned that challenges ahead loomed. The number of employees in the financial services industry has increased by 77% since the financial crisis, but the number of employees in the financial services industry may decrease by 10% to 20% in the next three to five years as artificial intelligence changes business operations. Johnson said most CEOs don’t like to talk directly about the issue, but jobs will be lost. His clients have scaled back hiring efforts to reduce the number of entry-level employees. How it will reshape traditional career trajectories remains to be determined, he said.
“The hierarchy of these companies goes back decades and is so well established and well understood that this completely turns it on its head,” Johnson said. “If you hire fewer people at the bottom, how do you develop talent for the middle or upper levels? There won’t be as many candidates, and they won’t have the same career experience.”
“I don’t think anyone can figure that out.”
This story was originally published on wealth network