Dimon says JPMorgan has lost up to $10 bln on Bear Stearns buy
WASHINGTON, Oct 10 (Reuters) - JPMorgan Chase & Co Chief Executive Jamie Dimon said his company has lost up to $10 billion as a result of the government asking him to buy teetering Wall Street firm Bear Stearns during the financial crisis.
"I'm going to say we've lost $5 billion to $10 billion on various things related to Bear Stearns now. And yes, I put it in the unfair category," Dimon said, speaking at a Council on Foreign Relations event.
Dimon said the losses come from litigation and writedowns, among other expenses.
Last week, JPMorgan was hit with a fresh civil lawsuit from the New York attorney general, seeking to hold the bank accountable for allegations that Bear Stearns deceived investors buying mortgage-backed securities.
"Would I have done Bear Stearns again knowing what I know today? It's real close," Dimon said.
(Reporting By Karey Wutkowski and Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick)
((karey.wutkowski@thomsonreuters.com))
Keywords: JPMORGAN DIMON/BEARSTEARNS