The 5 Biggest Acquisitions in History
1. Vodafone and Mannesmann (1999-2000): $203.8 billion
Vodafone, a prominent British mobile phone company, committed a hostile takeover of Mannesmann, a German engineering giant. This takeover remains the largest acquisition ever made. It was a dramatic saga involving bidding wars, national pride, and ultimately, Vodafone's triumph, making them the world's largest mobile operator at the time.
2. AOL and Time Warner (2000): $182.4 billion
At the time, this was a story of new media merging with old media. A match made in heaven? Try one of the biggest failures in acquisition history. This merger of America Online, the internet giant of the late 1990s, and Time Warner, the traditional media powerhouse, quickly became a cautionary tale of clashing cultures and over-optimism about the internet's potential.
3. Verizon and Vodafone (2013): $130 billion
In 2013, Verizon acquired Vodafone's 45% stake in Verizon Wireless, making the American telecom giant the sole owner of the highly successful mobile carrier. This move gave Verizon full control over its wireless strategy and boosted its market share.
4. Dow Chemical and DuPont (2015-2017): $130 billion
These two American chemical giants merged and created a diversified materials science powerhouse. The deal took years to finalize as it was met with skepticism due to antitrust concerns and the complexity of integrating the two companies.
5. ChemChina and Sinochem (2016) $120 billion
ChemChina, a major global chemical company under Chinese state ownership, made headlines in February 2016 with its acquisition of Syngenta, a Swiss company. This transaction marked China's largest foreign acquisition at the time.