Weill Book is 'Real Deal'

But this story is not over. If you've followed Sandy Weill's career, you know it has long been intertwined with that of Jamie Dimon, the young man who had a summer job working for Weill at Shearson, then joined him full-time right out of Harvard Business School. Their relationship has been controversial, to say the least. Dimon stood by Weill when he left American Express and was at his side when he built his second empire.

Ultimately, Dimon was forced out after the merger that created Citigoup. And in a story that parallels that of his mentor, Dimon came to Chicago to run BankOne, and then merged it to create JPMorgan Chase, where he is now chairman and CEO.

Today, Dimon's bank is giving Citigroup (and its Weill-picked successor CEO Charles Prince) a good run for the money. JPMorgan has seen a 25% rise in its share price so far in 2006, while Citigroup is up only 7% and trails the 14% gain of the banking-industry benchmark.

Weill commented carefully when I asked if he's "proud" of his one-time protégée. A small smile escaped, as Weill nodded his assent. "We'll see what happens next."

And so, as with those other legendary banking institutions, the House of Rothschild and the House of Morgan, the story continues. Weill's wife is hoping he'll truly retire this time. But I wouldn't bet on it. And that's The Savage Truth.