Business

Jamie Dimon drops into Mt. Kisco Chase branch, takes a knee with staff

Jamie Dimon’s first public sighting since he underwent heart surgery three months ago has resulted in a photo of him kneeling at a local Chase branch — sparking questions about whether he was “taking a knee” in solidarity with widespread racial justice protests.

The 63-year-old CEO of JPMorgan Chase underwent emergency heart surgery on March 5, before the coronavirus crisis escalated, and has been away from the office ever since due to Empire State lockdown orders.

According to a JPMorgan spokesperson, the photo took place at his local Chase branch in Mt. Kisco, NY, and is the result of Dimon’s first interaction with his staff since his emergency acute aortic dissection.

Sources say Dimon dropped in on the branch on Friday while wearing a face mask and ended up chatting with 10 staffers there. He fielded questions on topics ranging from how he’s feeling post-surgery to how small business clients are faring in the area, and congratulated the Mt. Kisco branch on staying open throughout the pandemic.

At some point during the impromptu powwow, the man sometimes referred to as “America’s Banker” dropped to one knee alongside five other masked staff members. Five more staffers stood behind them in front of the bank’s massive vault, while another staffer took the photo.

Jamie Dimon
Jamie DimonAFP via Getty Images

Chase declined to comment on whether Dimon’s kneel was a show of support for protests that have engulfed America following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis Police. Footage of the arrest shows an officer kneeling on the neck of an unarmed Floyd for more than eight minutes.

Earlier this week, Dimon issued a statement in support of the protests.

“Let us be clear — we are watching, listening and want every single one of you to know we are committed to fighting against racism and discrimination wherever and however it exists,” he wrote as part of his memo to staff.

Dimon, who has been working from home since early April, is returning to an economy crushed by widespread lockdowns. But he appeared to predict a quick return to normalcy last week during a virtual financial conference held by Deutsche Bank.

“You could see a fairly rapid recovery,” Dimon said at the time, citing government stimulus and reopening the consumer economy as a potent combination.