JPMorgan chief Dimon known as details man

By Megan Davies

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Jamie Dimon, the head of the Wall Street bank that came to the rescue of Bear Stearns, is a details man, a whiz at numbers, and has a track record of fixing up major banks.

Dimon, who has been chief executive of JPMorgan Chase since January 2006 and once had a penchant for boxing in his spare time, is known for his shrewd business judgment.

"Jamie Dimon has consistently showed that he is the canniest guy on Wall Street," said Michael Ryan, a lawyer with Cleary Gottlieb. "JPMorgan has largely escaped the woes of its brethren, leaving it freer than anyone to take advantage of consolidation opportunities."

JPMorgan declined comment.

JPMorgan on Friday announced it teamed up with the Federal Reserve to provide emergency funds for Bear Stearns after Bear's cash position significantly deteriorated in a 24-hour period.

The cash infusion deal was hashed out late Thursday, said a source familiar with the banks' discussions. Indeed, Dimon was celebrating his 52nd birthday over a family dinner when he got calls about Bear's plight.

JPMorgan's move is just as provider of emergency cash, although it said on Friday that it was "working closely with Bear Stearns on securing permanent financing or other alternatives." Some expect that JPMorgan will look to buy Bear assets, and even to consider a full buyout of the company.

A person familiar with JPMorgan on Friday said the bank is interested, at the right price, in buying the Bear division that provides loans and handles trades for hedge funds.