JPMorgan Chase chief executive Jamie Dimon hosted a lavish celebration honouring King Charles III’s 77th birthday at the bank’s gleaming new Manhattan headquarters, complete with a giant Union Jack projection illuminating the Lord Norman Foster-designed tower as roughly 400 guests gathered to toast the British monarch.
The king himself did not attend the Thursday evening event at 270 Park Avenue, but members of British nobility, Parliament, celebrities and former Prime Minister Tony Blair joined the festivities celebrating Charles’s birthday on 14 November. The bash featured classic British fare including Yorkshire pudding and beef pie with Stilton cheese, alongside tables of sushi and nigiri for those less keen on pub grub.
A History Buff’s Tribute
Dimon, known for his interest in history, used the occasion to pay homage to the British roots of his institution. J Pierpont Morgan descended from a family of English merchants, whilst his son Jack Morgan maintained a close friendship with King George VI, the late Queen Elizabeth II‘s father and Charles’s grandfather.
‘We’re just about to begin the celebrations for 250 years of American independence from the British monarch, and here we stand in this temple of American freedom and prosperity to celebrate the birthday of the British monarch’, said Varun Chandra, the prime minister’s special adviser on business and investment, capturing the evening’s ironic timing.
Even after many JPMorgan executives departed, Dimon remained for more than two hours, staying in good spirits with a drink in hand. ‘There’s a whiskey bar back there’, he told guests as he took to the stage. ‘Thank God, mostly Scottish whiskey’.
Star-Studded Guest List
The gathering drew an eclectic mix of attendees. Members of Parliament and British nobles wearing kilts mingled with reality television personalities including Ubah Hassan from ‘The Real Housewives of New York City’ and Mary Holland. Actor Brian Cox, known for his role in ‘Succession’, stopped by to raise a glass with guests shouting ‘Long live the king’.
Photos of the royal family decorated the venue, alongside images of former Presidents Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump. Members of the British Consulate were also in attendance at the celebration held in JPMorgan’s new headquarters, which officially opened in October after nearly eight years of planning and construction.
A Building Befitting the Occasion
The 270 Park Avenue tower represents a multibillion-dollar investment by America’s largest bank. The project involved tearing down the previous headquarters and constructing a new one, with Dimon cutting the ribbon on 21 October to mark its completion.
King Charles celebrated his actual birthday during a challenging year that included a cancer diagnosis, though Buckingham Palace has not specified the type of cancer. The decision to honour the monarch’s milestone in New York rather than London underscores the deep historical and ongoing business ties between Britain and America’s financial capital.
The lavish party comes as Dimon continues to wield significant influence in both business and political circles. The billionaire banker has been mentioned as a potential presidential candidate, though he has consistently said he has no plans to run for office. In 2024, he endorsed Nikki Haley in the Republican primary before speaking positively about Donald Trump after years of criticism.
Originally published on IBTimes UK
