▁head ▁of ▁a ▁Wall ▁Street ▁firm . ▁While ▁at ▁American ▁Express , ▁We ill ▁began ▁gro oming ▁his ▁new est ▁prot ég é , ▁Jam ie ▁Dim on , ▁the ▁future ▁CE O ▁of ▁J PM organ ▁Ch ase . ▁ ▁Before ▁Cit igr oup ▁( 1 9 8 6 – 1 9 9 8 ) ▁We ill ▁res igned ▁from ▁American ▁Express ▁in ▁August ▁ 1 9 8 5 ▁at ▁age ▁ 5 2 . ▁After ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁become ▁the ▁CE O ▁of ▁Bank America ▁Cor p ., ▁he ▁persu aded ▁Min ne apolis - based ▁Control ▁Data ▁Corporation ▁to ▁spin ▁off ▁a ▁trouble d ▁subs idi ary , ▁Com mer cial ▁Cred it , ▁a ▁consumer ▁fin ance ▁company . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁We ill ▁bought ▁Com mer cial ▁Cred it ▁for ▁$ 7 ▁million . ▁After ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁lay offs ▁and ▁re organ ization , ▁the ▁company ▁completed ▁a ▁successful ▁IP O . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 7 , ▁he ▁acquired ▁G ulf ▁In sur ance . ▁The ▁next ▁year , ▁he ▁paid ▁$ 1 . 5 ▁billion ▁for ▁Pr imer ica , ▁the ▁parent ▁company ▁of ▁Smith ▁Bar ney ▁and ▁the ▁A . ▁L . ▁Williams ▁ins urance ▁company . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁he ▁acquired ▁Dre x el ▁Burn ham ▁Lam bert ' s ▁ret ail ▁bro ker age ▁out lets . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 2 , ▁he ▁paid ▁$ 7 2 2 ▁million ▁to ▁buy