The following tables list the largest
mergers and acquisitions
Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are business transactions in which the ownership of companies, other business organizations, or their operating units are transferred to or consolidated with another company or business organization. As an aspec ...
by decade of transaction. Transaction values are given in the
US dollar
The United States dollar ( symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the officia ...
value for the year of the merger, adjusted for inflation. , the largest ever acquisition was the 1999 takeover of
Mannesmann
Mannesmann was a German industrial conglomerate. It was originally established as a manufacturer of steel pipes in 1890 under the name "Deutsch-Österreichische Mannesmannröhren-Werke AG". (Loosely translated: "German-Austrian Mannesmann pip ...
by
Vodafone Airtouch plc
Vodafone Group plc () is a British multinational telecommunications company. Its registered office and global headquarters are in Newbury, Berkshire, England. It predominantly operates services in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Oceania.
, Vodaf ...
at $183 billion ($ billion adjusted for inflation).
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the world's largest telecommunications company by revenue and the third largest provider of mobile ...
appears in these lists the most times with five entries, for a combined transaction value of $311.4 billion. Mergers and acquisitions are notated with the year the transaction was initiated, not necessarily completed. Mergers are shown as the market value of the combined entities.
Free market enterprises
1870s
Top M&A deal worldwide by value from 1870 to 1879:
1900s
Top 3 M&A deals worldwide by value from 1900 to 1909:
1910s
Top 3 M&A deals worldwide by value from 1910 to 1919:
1920s
Top 5 M&A deals worldwide by value from 1920 to 1929:
1930s
Top 5 M&A deals worldwide by value from 1930 to 1939:
1940s
Top 5 M&A deals worldwide by value from 1940 to 1949:
1950s
Top 10 M&A deals worldwide by value from 1950 to 1959:
1960s
Top 10 M&A deals worldwide by value from 1960 to 1969:
1970s
Top 15 M&A deals worldwide by value from 1970 to 1979:
1980s
Top 30 M&A deals worldwide by value from 1980 to 1989:
1990s
Top M&A deals worldwide by value ($20 billion or larger) from 1990 to 1999:
2000s
Top M&A deals worldwide by value ($20 billion or larger) from 2000 to 2009:
2010s
Top M&A deals worldwide by value ($20 billion or larger) from 2010 to 2019:
2020s
Top M&A deals worldwide by value ($20 billion or larger) from 2020 to 2029:
State-owned enterprises
Top M&A deals worldwide by value ($20 billion or larger) between state-owned enterprises:
Largest ever deals which have failed to complete
This lists catalogues M&A deals ($20 billion or larger in transaction value) which were confirmed, but for a number of reasons, failed to complete.
See also
*
List of largest companies by revenue
This list comprises the world's largest companies by consolidated revenue, according to the ''Fortune'' Global 500 2022 rankings. American retail corporation Walmart has been the world's largest company by revenue since 2014.
The list is limite ...
*
List of largest employers
The largest employers in the world include companies, militaries, and governments.
Largest employers
Companies and institutions are included in this list.
Largest private and semiprivate employers
The rankings below are the six private-sect ...
*
List of companies by profit and loss
*
List of public corporations by market capitalization
The following is a list of publicly traded companies having the greatest market capitalization. In media they are described as being the most valuable companies, a reference to their market value.
Market capitalization is calculated from the shar ...
*
List of largest pharmaceutical mergers and acquisitions
The following table lists the largest mergers and acquisitions in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry (those over $10 billion). Transactions are recorded by the highest transaction dollar value (rather than using the inflation adjusted va ...
*
List of largest corporate spin-offs
Notes
References
{{Corporate finance and investment banking, state=collapsed
*Largest mergers and acquisitions
Largest mergers and acquisitions
Mergers and acquisitions
Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are business transactions in which the ownership of companies, other business organizations, or their operating units are transferred to or consolidated with another company or business organization. As an aspec ...