german french italian large integrated financial services company located switzerland prior merger bank largest switzerland billion assets billion equity 1990s engaged large growth initiative shifting focus traditional commercial banking investment banking effort match larger swiss rival strategy acquired based investment bank london based merchant bank mid-1990s acquired chicago based connor associates acquisitions formed basis global investment banking business merged form largest bank europe second largest bank world company logo featured keys confidence security discretion adopted merger combination banks billed merger equals quickly evident management perspective buying nearly management positions filled legacy professionals today forms core businesses particularly history traces history year private banking firms switzerland resources form consortium acted syndicate member banks original member banks von establishment joint stock banks switzerland earliest predecessors structured swiss driven country construction railroads mid-19th century formally organized replacing original consortium founded initial commitment million million initial share capital paid early bank early predecessors bank experienced initial growing pains heavy losses germany caused bank suspend favor loss reserve accumulated capital resume initially annual rate increasing later combined year acquired bank changes swiss bank english bank changed continued grow early decades 20th century acquiring weaker rivals purchased establishing branch geneva switzerland time years later bank acquired bank switzerland representation italian speaking portion country followed acquisition bank est acquisition onset world war hold bank development survived war intact suffered loss investments number large industrial companies bank surpassed billion time end grew employees purchased precious metals produce bank company established separate subsidiary spun impact stock market crash great depression severe particularly swiss suffered major bank assets fall peak billion levels billion adopted keys logo confidence security discretion logo designed swiss artist illustrator activities world war eve world war recipient large foreign funds prior outbreak world war timely decision open office new_york_city office able begin operations located building weeks outbreak war intended safe place store assets case invasion war bank traditional business fell swiss government largest client overall saw business grow result wartime government business decades war demonstrated likely took active role trading stolen gold assets world war world jewish congress lawsuit swiss banks launched retrieve deposits victims nazi persecution prior world war negotiations involving successor world jewish congress behalf ultimately resulted settlement billion august paid large swiss banks settlement coincided merger bank embarrassment collapse brought degree closure issue found relatively strong financial condition end world war billion assets contrast founded largest banks switzerland end war consequently acquired remained swiss government leading debt post war years shifting focus traditional business lending money principally private companies postwar rebuilding europe firm continued expansion international markets particularly united_states focused primarily commercial banking corporate clients switzerland remained service bank domestic retail banking network asset management business prospered 1950s embarked period sustained growth bank entered 1950s branch offices switzerland abroad doubled assets end war billion end 1950s doubled assets mid-1960s exceeding billion acquired switzerland firm continued open new offices mid-1960s time began expand asia opened representative offices latin_america bank opened branch office tokyo bank number acquisitions enhance position products acquired controlling interest later sold banks focused consumer lending similarly acquired number banks private banking sector including majority interest geneva based bank continued consolidation swiss banks acquiring acquired bank home market highly competitive focused commercial banking american multinational companies consistently largest major assets short periods temporarily moved ahead balance sheet grown billion assets bank typically rank second firmly established largest swiss bank 1980s retain position years spot following acquisitions aggressive acquisitions began 1990s weakest big swiss banks end driving force merger impacted losses real estate investments series minor controversies despite bank historically conservative posture beginning 1980s swiss peers began embrace aggressive strategy competitors japan germany bank signaled new posture opened new headquarters floor building 49th street adjoining shifted focus traditional commercial banking investment banking emphasis building trading operations bolster trading initiative acquired chicago based options trading firm expertise financial derivatives connor founded mathematician named williams bill connor connor brothers fortune trading grain founded options clearing house business provided run risk management options capital start firm established strategic relationship connor largest market maker financial options exchanges beginning connor looking partner larger financial institution entered currency joint venture proved step sale connor following merger connor combined money market capital market currency market activities form globally integrated capital markets treasury operation number connor executives brought key positions bank attempt culture followed acquisition connor acquiring asset management firm focused providing access institutions global markets founded financial management emerged largest managers pension plans managed series mutual funds pioneer development theory asset allocation largely conventional wisdom money managers 1980s 1990s begun working 1970s began building business led million management firm years built firm approximately billion assets management paid million acquire resulted profit partners million sale stake company following acquisition ran asset management business merger named chief investment officer major push investment banking acquisition leading british investment banking firm billion founded member banking family world war established reputation daring merchant bank grew respected investment banks london following flawed costly expansion merger announced talks collapsed following year purchased bank merged existing investment banking unit create leading player global investment banking years later paid million acquire white shoe investment banking firm considered member read traced roots 1830s powerhouse firms wall street 1920s 1930s 1990s particularly strong acquisitions advisory group read negotiations sell ing owned firm read partners ing integration plans acquisition read merged create read discontinued merger brought ill fated fund operations aggressively pushing ahead acquisitions series activist shareholders critical bank relatively conservative management investment trust largest attempted force major restructuring bank operations merger actually laid mutual competitor approached merger created second largest bank world management board unanimously rebuffed proposed merger supported idea merger led major revolt resulted replacement chairman successor key architects merger december announced stock merger time merger second largest banks switzerland respectively trailing discussions banks begun months earlier year merger stock merger resulted creation huge new bank total assets billion referred new distinguish combined bank second largest world time additionally merger pulled banks asset businesses create world largest money manager approximately billion assets management merger billed merger equals resulted shareholders receiving bank common shares shareholders receiving combined company named chief executive officer chairman new bank quickly evident management perspective buying nearly management positions filled legacy professionals additionally professionals suffered reductions particularly investment banking unit heavy cuts corporate finance businesses prior merger built global investment banking business read acquisitions read new_york london generally considered developing international investment banking business particularly higher margin advisory businesses read considered established platform merger completed widely speculated series losses suffered equity derivative positions late provided leverage required merger clear derivatives losses prompted accept terms proposed readily merger successor largest financial institutions world operated major financial centers worldwide offices countries employees globally november merged american stock asset management firm led chairman ceo acquisition pushed wealth asset management firm world initially business given divisional year old disappeared renamed wealth management usa bank grow considerably 2000s building large investment banking franchise compete major european firms suffered major setbacks suffered largest losses european bank mortgage crisis bank required raise large amounts outside capital swiss government series equity offerings acquisition history prior merger result combination dozens individual firms date 19th century following illustration company major acquisitions historical predecessors necessarily comprehensive list
Swiss Bank Corporation