On the face of it, the question seemed a simple one of corporate governance: should JPMorgan Chase, America's biggest bank, split the roles of chief executive and chairman? But the stakes were much higher, which explains why, after weeks of noisy debate, two-thirds of shareholders rejected a motion to that effect at their annual meeting on May 21st. It was not the first time the question had been posed. Last year a similar motion was considered-and received 40% of the vote. But this year's poll was much more contentious. A multi-billion-dollar loss as a result of outsized trades by an employee known as the "London Whale" had made Jamie Dimon, holder of both titles (pictured), vulnerable to attack.
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