Dimon's fintech warning shot — Blackstone's secret weapon — N62 nears mega funding round

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On the agenda today:

• Jamie Dimon said he'll spend whatever it takes to battle BNPL competition.
• Blackstone developed a tool that's overhauling how it collects and analyzes data.
• Thiel-backed bank N26 is set to be valued at $8 billion.

Let's get started. 

Jamie Dimon will spend whatever it takes to battle BNPL

During JPMorgan's third-quarter earnings call (here's how the bank beat analysts' estimates), CEO Jamie Dimon issued a blank check to get ahead of the growing competition from buy now, pay later companies. More on what Dimon said about tackling BNPL competition.

A look at Blackstone's secret weapon

Blackstone has developed a cloud-based tool that's overhauling how the PE giant collects and analyzes data across its $411 billion real-estate portfolio. Real Estate Data Direct, or REDD, is part of an effort to compile data from its portfolio companies. Everything we know about REDD so far.

Viking Global alums are on a red-hot launch streak

Grant Wonders, a 31-year-old Viking alum, launched Voyager Global this year, raising over $1 billion. Wonders is one of several Viking graduates who've started their own funds in the past three years — and there's one more on the way. Here's how "entrepreneurial DNA," deep pockets, and top-tier training created the perfect breeding ground for the next generation of hedge-fund superstars.

Thiel-backed challenger bank N26 is set to be valued at $8 billion

Digital bank N26, backed by PayPal billionaire Peter Thiel, is set to close an $800 million funding round led by hedge fund Coatue. More on that here.

Read the pitch deck Beacon used to raise $56 million

Beacon, a fintech helping Wall Street better analyze risk and data, raised its Series C this week, scoring funding from Warburg Pincus, Blackstone, and PIMCO. We got a look at the 20-page pitch deck it used to woo some of the country's biggest investment managers — see it here.

Plus, take a look at our exclusive library of pitch decks.

Must-read books to jump-start your Wall Street career

We asked our 2021 class of Wall Street rising stars to share the books that informed both their career and personal growth. What they gave us was a handful of reads from the rise of Jeff Bezos' empire to how to live a happier life. Here are 15 of their recommendations.

On our radar:

• Bloomberg reported on Jane Fraser's plan to reinvent Citigroup. Read it here.
• Promoting your colleagues' ideas over your own could boost your influence at work. Here's why.
• An entertainment lawyer representing Netflix and Jimmy Kimmel gave us a glimpse into her life — from watching TV for work to lots of Post-it Notes.
• Legal-tech startup ContractPodAi used this pitch deck to convince SoftBank's Masa Son to lead its $115 million Series C. Check out the deck here.