In the novel Paul Allen/Paul Owen is a colleague of Bateman’s who appears to have equal rank but is handling the “Fisher Account” which seems to be a point of envy between the Pierce & Pierce executives. No one really seems to know how Paul Allen/Paul Owen came into possession of handling the account. According to Bateman Paul Allen/Paul Owen looks a lot like another executive, Marcus Halberstam, as Bateman comments on the style of dress, haircut, and brand of eyeglasses. This will be a factor later in the book/movie when Bateman confronts Carnes the lawyer who insists that he had dinner with Paul Allen/Paul Owen in London, twice, and also believes that Bateman is a man called Davis. The confusion of who is who is a recurring incident in American Psycho and even Bateman cannot always distinguish between who is really who, thus adding to his unreliable narrator.

Paul Allen/Paul Owen also appears to have the better of all of the things that Bateman wants. Allen (Owen)’s apartment has a view of the park, it’s unclear which park Bateman is referring to, and Allen (Owen) often dines at Dorsia which irritates Bateman as apparently Bateman cannot get a reservation as easily as Allen (Owen). Bateman is also envious of Allen (Owen)’s girlfriend, even though all of the female characters in the novel and the movie look the same and behave the same as the male characters.