Lloyd Blankfein, Jamie Dimon Keep The Yuks Coming

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Without question, it's been a difficult year and a half for Lloyd Blankfein and Jamie Dimon. While they may not have had to deal with the abysmal failures of some of their peers, they've had to grapple with something perhaps even more difficult: being punished for their manifold success. Peasants with pitchforks, deranged Rolling Stone writers, college-coeds, Washington-- they've all dished the hate and dished it hard. It's been pretty tough to take but rather than commiserate, rather than stroke each others' hair/shining pate, consoling one another with the fact that people will always try to tear down those who are richer and better looking than them, the two have displayed some signs turning on the other. Jamie has expressed to those close to him that nothing has grinded his gears more these last few months than being compared to that guy, who's demonstrated what some believe to be a deaf ear to the populist, anti-Wall Street sentiment, which James has never done. And Lloyd, while it's yet to show up in the papers, has surely spent many an evening bitching to Gary Cohn about the fact that Mr. Dimon could clown-face the a homeless guy and receive a standing ovation for his seed-spreading generosity and commitment to the arts. And while an anecdote from this week's New York cover story could be interpreted as further signs of tension, of animosity between the two, all we see is progress.

Blankfein and Dimon share the crown warily, uneasily. At a recent industry event in Washington, Dimon was giving a presentation and struggling with his laptop when Blankfein cracked from the audience, “I’m feeling a bit better about my competitive position”—to which Dimon cheekily shot back, “Just doing God’s work up here, Lloyd.”

This is how it starts. It starts with a laugh at each others' expense's. A little busting of each others' humps. Before you know it they'll be back to pranking Vikram, as a team.

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Time was, Jamie Dimon was the most popular CEO on Wall Street and America's "Least Hated Banker," for reasons that included the fact that the man has soulful blue eyes, charisma out the ass, and was in charge of one of the banks that a) didn't go out of business during the financial crisis, like Lehman and Bear and b) supposedly didn't actually need the bailout money the government made it take (as JD has said previously), like Bank of America and Citigroup. The man, in the hearts of many and especially the adoring press, could do no wrong. Which is why it probably stung a lot that Lloyd Blankfein, a Wall Street CEO who also possesses more charm than a person would know what do do with, who was also in charge of a bank that neither went out of business during the financial crisis nor required the bailout money it was forced to take (according to GS), and who is also the owner of a pair of baby blues, though in his case ones that sparkle, could only do wrong. And while LB is not one to gloat at another's misfortune, especially that of a friend, he's obviously feeling pretty good about being living proof of the old saying, "only one Wall Street CEO's balls can be in a vise at a time," and right now it's JD's turn. Dimon did not attend the annual Robin Hood Foundation party [last night], but Blankfein was there, enjoying a rare night out of the spotlight. He shook hands, introduced his wife and, grinning broadly, posed for pictures. For months, Goldman Sachs has been portrayed as the callous Wall Street behemoth whose executives collected giant bonuses while America's housing crisis worsened and unemployment rose. But Monday night was different. "No one cares about Lloyd tonight. It is Jamie against the world, and that's got to feel good for Lloyd," another hedge fund manager said. And this is just the beginning. First, they stop calling you Satan and claiming you poisoned their food, next glowing profiles and cover stories devoting major column inches to your rippling biceps and the throngs of women you beat off with a stick. Dimon Pushes Blankfein Off Hot Seat At Charity Gala [Reuters] Robin Hood Scene: Blankfein, Soros, Rihanna [Bloomberg/Photo]