JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon: 'I thought I heard it' when aorta burst
'I felt it,' Dimon recalled
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, who recently shared the story of his near-death experience when his aorta burst in March, said he "thought he heard it" when the incident occurred.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPM | JPMORGAN CHASE & CO. | 249.76 | -0.14 | -0.06% |
Dimon had just finished an early morning phone call on March 5 with his top assistants to warn of coronavirus-related economic troubles when he felt a tear in his chest, according to an interview with The Wall Street Journal published Thursday.
"I felt it," Dimon told the newspaper. "I thought I heard it."
Dimon took a cab to the hospital because his doctor told him he didn't have time for an ambulance. The burst happened just days before his 64th birthday, and the billionaire said he "knew" he "might not make it."
Jamie Dimon, chief executive officer of JPMorgan Chase & Co., poses for a photograph on the sidelines of the JP Morgan Global China Summit in Beijing, China. (Photographer: Giulia Marchi/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
On his way to New York-Presbyterian Hospital’s Weill Cornell Medical Center, Dimon said his right arm began to ache and his right eye turned a dark yellow color as a result of the burst. The blood pressure in his right arm was high and alarmingly low in his left arm, according to the Journal.
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Dimon underwent a risky heart surgery for several hours that could have ended in death. The surgery consisted of implanting a tube in the CEO's chest and rebuilding his aorta -- the body's largest artery, which helps pump blood to the circulatory system.
On March 12, Dimon was released from the hospital, and he returned to full-time, remote work in April. By June, he had returned to his New York City office, the Journal reported.
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The former Federal Reserve Bank of New York Board member has since been involved in discussions with White House leaders regarding plans to stimulate the economy as COVID-19 rages on and Congress continues to work toward passing a relief package amid pushback from the president.
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While the reasoning behind Dimon's aorta burst is unknown, the CEO expressed concern that it could be the result of some illness he felt during a trip to Miami at the beginning of the year, speculating that it may have been COVID-19, though it is impossible to tell.
Dimon currently has no plans to retire from JPMorgan.