As coronavirus fears devastate the markets, the virus has also hit famed Wall Street billionaire investor Steven A. Cohen’s Point72 Asset Management’s Manhattan headquarters.
A spokesperson for Point72 confirmed that an employee at its gleaming new offices at Hudson Yards became a confirmed case of Covid-19 on Monday.
Sources tell Page Six that all staff who worked on the 14th floor with the employee suffering from coronavirus have been sent home for a mandatory 14-day quarantine, and the Hudson Yards office is undergoing an immediate deep clean.
The office at 55 Hudson Yards sits at the intersection of Hudson Yards, The High Line and Hudson Park & Boulevard. When completed, it was said it is one of the few offices in the city that opens directly onto a park and sits adjacent to the No. 7 subway station, which connects to every other major subway line as well as Grand Central Station.
The Point72 spokesperson said in a statement, “The health and safety of our employees is a top priority, and we are taking the COVID-19 situation seriously.
“In addition to working closely with state and local health departments, we are taking precautions and preventive measures to protect our employees and maintain a healthy work environment.”
“We have extensive business continuity plans in place to ensure the Firm can continue to operate.”
Company insiders say the employee in question is employed in the firm’s back office, is quarantined at home “in good condition” and has been working from home in self-quarantine since early last week.
As a precaution, all the employees on the 14th floor were sent home as deep cleaning of the office began today. The source added that the company intended to remain fully functional as most employees can work from home.
Cohen, the CEO of Point72 Asset Management, is the inspiration for Damian Lewis’ hard-driving financier character Bobby Axelrod in the Showtime hit “Billions.”
The drama series, now entering its fifth season, focuses on the volatile relationship between Axelrod and righteous lawman Chuck Rhoades, played by Paul Giamatti.
In the show’s first season, Rhoades was hell-bent on taking down Axelrod — an apparent real-life parallel to former US Attorney Preet Bharara’s pursuit of Cohen.