JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) CEO Jamie Dimon emotionally recounted the story of almost dying in March 2020, when he realized “it might be goodbye” while facing a serious health crisis.
Earlier this week, on The Master Investor Podcast, host Wilfred Frost asked Dimon about the time he “nearly died” from heart failure, requiring emergency open-heart surgery, and asked whether the near-death experience caused his life to flash before their eyes.
Dimon recalled that surviving an aortic dissection was frightening, but his earlier battle with throat cancer was even more grueling. He recalled immediately recognizing the severity of the condition, knowing many patients die before reaching or leaving the hospital, and realizing he might be nearing his last hours.
“I knew at that point in time that you know there might be goodbye,” said Dimon.
Dimon recalled telling his wife to “call the company and tell them exactly what’s happening so they can do what they got to do.”
Reflecting on the moment, he said he did not have “any great” regrets, believing he was leaving behind a loving family and a successful company. While acknowledging he had made mistakes, he felt he had recovered from them and was at peace with the life he had lived.
Fired From Citigroup, Then Bounced Back
In another anecdote from his life, the JPMorgan CEO recalled being unexpectedly fired as Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) president in 1998, calling it a defining moment in his career. Dimon said he was summoned to a meeting with Sandy Weill and John Reed and asked to resign due to organizational changes, a decision that initially baffled him.
He shared his family’s reactions after breaking the news, with his youngest daughter asking if they would have to “sleep on the streets.” Despite the setback, Dimon said the experience affected only his “net worth, not my self-worth,” and remembered that around 50 senior Citibank managers gathered at his apartment to bid him farewell.
After being fired from Citigroup, Jamie Dimon briefly considered leaving Wall Street after a conversation with Amazon.com Ltd. (NASDAQ:AMZN) founder Jeff Bezos in 1999. Instead, he invested $60 million, half of his net worth, in Bank One, a bold move that ultimately led him to become CEO of JPMorgan.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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