Jamie Dimon's 9 reasons why the US is truly exceptional

REUTERS/Carlos Barria
REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Follow Yahoo Finance’s full coverage of JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon’s annual letter to shareholders

Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JPMorgan Chase (JPM), is bullish on America despite the many things that are currently holding the country back.

“Before we address some of the critical issues confronting our country, it would be good to count our blessings. Let’s start with a serious assessment of our strengths,” Dimon wrote in his firm’s annual shareholder letter.

He went on to bullet-point the nine reasons to be excited about living in the U.S.:

  1. The United States has the world’s strongest military, and this will be the case for decades. We are fortunate to be at peace with our neighbors and to have the protection of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

  2. As a nation, we have essentially all the food, water and energy we need.

  3. The United States has among the world’s best universities and hospitals.

  4. The United States has a generally reliable rule of law and low corruption.

  5. The government of the United States is the world’s longest surviving democracy, which has been steadfast, resilient and enduring through some very difficult times.

  6. The people of the United States have a great work ethic and can-do attitude.

  7. Americans are among the most entrepreneurial and innovative people in the world – from those who work on the factory floors to geniuses like the late Steve Jobs. Improving “things” and increasing productivity are American pastimes. And America still fosters an entrepreneurial culture where risk taking is allowed – accepting that it can result in success or failure.

  8. The United States is home to many of the best, most vibrant businesses on the planet – from small and middle-sized companies to large, global multinationals.

  9. The United States also has the widest, deepest, most transparent and best financial markets in the world. And I’m not talking just about Wall Street and banks – I include the whole mosaic: venture capital, private equity, asset managers, individual and corporate investors, and public and private capital markets. Our financial markets have been an essential part of the great American business machine.

In sum, America is an exceptional place to live.


Julia La Roche is a finance reporter at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter.


Julia La Roche is a finance reporter at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter.

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