I Came Close To Dying: Wall Street's Most Photographed Man Is Ready For Normalcy

After Peter Tuchman left the New York Stock Exchange in March, he was worried he wouldn't come back.

"I basically came very close to dying," he says.

Known as "the most photographed man on Wall Street," Tuchman has an amazing expressiveness that tells you instantly if stocks are up or down. He contracted COVID-19 early on, and has had health issues ever since. Tuchman didn't return to the trading floor full-time until November.

Since the stock market reopened its iconic trading floor last May, after a temporary closure, it has operated with a skeleton crew on site.

Starting Monday, that will change. If 100% of a firm's traders are fully vaccinated, they can start sending more of them back to the floor. They will be able to eat lunch in their booths again. Masks will be optional in some parts of the floor.

For Tuchman, this is another step forward on the path to normalcy. "We, as the ones who are still left here, are significant and relevant and important," he says.