JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon Faced Death and Realized He Had No Regrets-How His Outlook Shifted After Emergency Heart Surgery
NEW YORK – JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon confronted a harrowing 50-50 chance of survival during emergency heart surgery in 2020, an experience that prompted a period of deliberate reflection but ultimately reinforced his commitment to leading the financial giant, according to a recent interview. Despite the life-threatening health scare, Dimon, now 68, reports feeling no significant regrets and has since reaffirmed his dedication to JPMorgan, reversing earlier plans for a near-term retirement.
The crisis began with what Dimon described as feeling “like someone stuck a knife in my heart,” as he recounted to former wall Street Journal journalist Monica Langley in her Office Hours: Business Edition podcast. Facing a possibly fatal aortic dissection, Dimon’s first instinct wasn’t self-preservation, but ensuring the continuity of his company. Before undergoing the eight-hour procedure, he instructed his wife, judith Kent, to immediately inform JPMorgan’s general counsel and lead director of his condition, enabling the appointment of co-CEOs as a contingency plan.
Remarkably, Dimon remained composed leading up to the surgery, expressing gratitude to the medical staff-a sentiment he later demonstrated by gifting the hospital a new refrigerator and sanitizing machine.
Emerging from the surgery, Dimon found his perspective subtly altered, tho he maintained a deep satisfaction with his career. “I love what I do,and that didn’t change,” he told Langley. He continued his rigorous routine, waking before dawn to read five newspapers before beginning work, and recently took up the sport of squash.
Dimon’s leadership has remained steadfast since the health scare. In 2023, he spearheaded JPMorgan’s acquisition of First Republic Bank, a move that increased the bank’s deposits by $92 billion and boosted its stock value. He had previously indicated plans to step down as CEO within five years, but has now abandoned that timeline, stating he will remain in his role “When they are ready and it’s time for me to go-or some combination of the two,” and may continue as chairman after relinquishing the CEO position.
