America’s leading banker is investing $50 billion in a burgeoning private lending trend that is rapidly gaining traction on Wall Street, despite serious concerns that it might trigger a financial crisis.

Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JPMorgan Chase, is directing a shift in strategy for his bank, even as he expresses worries about the surge in unregulated private loans.

Dimon, regarded as one of the most accomplished bankers of his time, has previously likened this trend to the subprime mortgage craze that precipitated the 2008 global financial meltdown, devastating the livelihoods of millions of Americans.

Banks issued high-risk home loans to borrowers with poor credit histories, and when the initial low interest rates finally spiked, borrowers found themselves unable to pay their mortgages, triggering the collapse of the US housing market.

Dimon cited the mistakes bankers made which led to ‘everything’ blowing up and triggered tough banking regulations. 

‘Parts of direct lending are good, but not everyone does a great job. That’s what causes problems with financial products,’ he told clients in Miami in February.

Dimon warned the private lending trend – now worth a whopping $700billion – is a similar craze and there ‘could be hell to pay’ if the market ultimately falters.

These loans are generally so risky that traditional banks would not approve, but highly indebted companies are seeking them out from privatized financial firms, The Wall Street Journal reported. 

They took hold in 2015, as private equity giants with money to spare from successful pension funds sought higher returns and began dabbling in corporate lending.

Suddenly, businesses had the means to circumvent the big banks tough regulations, promised loans without the need to secure a credit rating and with more flexible terms.

They could borrow more than banks would traditionally lend, and in exchange would have a higher interest rate, with payments tacked on to the back of the loan. 

According to the Federal Reserve’s data from 2024, companies that went down the private loan route paid between two to three percent more than with traditional banks.

Defaults have historically remained low, but economists fear this could change swiftly in a sustained recession or market downturn. 

As early as 2021, Dimon was warning shareholders that the entire scheme ‘looked like a bubble’ and would need to be ‘assiduously monitored.’

But he was also looking for the safest way to tap into the market. 

On the same day Dimon raised the alarm with clients about the risks, JPMorgan released a statement confirming it was increasing its ‘direct lending commitment to $50 billion.’

‘This strategic move is designed to extend the firm’s direct lending capabilities and provide tailored private credit solutions to meet the evolving needs of clients,’ the firm said.

Under the new plan, corporate clients have the option to either take on a traditional loan or a private lending option, which could grant them access to more cash but see them saddled with a higher interest rate.

‘Since 2021, J.P. Morgan has successfully deployed over $10 billion across more than 100 private credit transactions, serving both corporate and sponsor clients,’ JPMorgan said in a February statement.

‘This latest commitment underscores the bank’s dedication to being a leader in both the broadly syndicated and private credit markets.’

JPMorgan holds onto private loans and collects interest until it matures. 

Dimon has considered the risk and sees a path forward for JPMorgan to profit even if a crisis destroys the market.

During the global financial crisis, a handful of bankers who predicted the crash were able to hugely profit by by betting against the very mortgage investments they sold to clients, making money as those investments ultimately collapsed.

The crash happened when millions of Americans began to default on risky home loans, causing the value of those investments to plummet and triggering panic across the global financial system.

Glenn Schorr, a senior analyst for Evercore, said: ‘As a bank, you can only watch private credit come from nowhere and get to a trillion dollar industry for so long. 

‘This is what its clients are asking for.’