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Wall Street Sits Courtside for a Marathon Match

John Paulson, the billionaire hedge fund manager, will be forever known on Wall Street as the man who made nearly billions shorting subprime mortgages. But on Monday night at the United States Open men's singles final, DealBook witnessed Mr. Paulson do something that, while not nearly as remunerative, was almost as impressive: He turned his necktie into an ascot.

More later on the MacGyver-esque maneuver of Mr. Paulson, who was among the lucky spectators in attendance for Andy Murray's five-hour victory over Novak Djokovic. Mr. Paulson might have been the richest person in the crowd, but he wasn't the most famous. The Moet & Chandon luxury suite bubbled with Hollywood heavies, including Jon Hamm of “Mad Men” and Andrew Garfield of “The Amazing Spider-Man.” Sitting in the choice seats of the President's Box as invited guests of the United States Tennis Association were Sean Connery and Kevin Spacey.

There were also a number of money men seated courtside. Howard Lutnick, the chief executive of Cantor Fitzgerald, was there with his son, seated with Mr. Connery and Mr. Spacey. The match came on the eve of the 11th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Cantor lost 658 of his employees, including Mr. Lutnick's younger brother, Gary. Howard Lutnick was not in his office that morning because he was taking his son to kindergarten.

Also in the audience was Gregory K. Palm, the longtime general counsel of Goldman Sachs. Mr. Palm was seated in the second row at center court. He could be seen frequently taking photos or recording the match with his smartphone. But it appeared that Mr. Palm, regrettably, left the match before its conclusion.

Mr. Paulson, a longtime tennis fan, did stay until the end. He was also seated in the second row, near the baseline. As the match wore on into the night, the temperatures dropped into the 50s and spectators grappled with how to stay warm.

Jason Gay of The Wall Street Jour nal wrote on Twitter that the chill had led “to a crazy, rack-clearing rush at Ralph Lauren store. It's like Cormac McCarthy‘s “The Road”… on Nantucket.” Mr. Connery, along with others in the President's Box, wrapped themselves in fuzzy blankets.

But Mr. Paulson, unable to avail himself of the U.S.T.A.-issued blanket and possibly reluctant to spend money on a Polo fleece, chose a different approach. Early in the fifth set, Mr. Paulson removed his tie and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt. He then wrapped the tie around his neck and transformed it into an ascot, providing additional warmth for the duration of the match.