Largest M&A Deals of All Time

Ashkan Karbasfrooshan — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 01:40:28 +0000

The following is a perpetual-work-in-progress. Once you start to compile a list of mergers and acquisitions, you realize why it’s nearly impossible to have a complete list. We are quite confident that the following is a very good, comprehensive list of the largest, more notable deals… but it is not - and no list will be - fully complete because there are too many countries around the world and too many industries to report (it is highly possible that the Wall Street Journal or Financial Post, for example, has such a list… but it would be thick and unwieldy).

We have included:

- many industries
- have not adjusted for inflation
- mergers (be it all cash, cash/stock, or all stock)
- acquisitions (we have excluded partial acquisitions)
- private equity deals.

It is certainly not complete, send me any ones you think I am missing or industries you want us to add next to ash@mojosupreme.com or leave in the comments.

Trivia:

- In 1981, when DuPont acquired Conoco for $7.8B, it was the biggest deal of all time. But adjusted for inflation, that remains a $20B deal by 2008 standards.

- KKR’s private equity deal for KKR remains the biggest buyout when adjusted for inflation, but in actual dollars it has been long surpassed.

Related on HipMojo.com:

- 2007 M&A Deals
- Top 10 Web M&A Deals of All Time