A European consortium led by Royal Bank of Scotland on Monday clinched a record 71-billion-euro (100-billion-dollar) take-over of ABN Amro, paving the way for the break-up of the Dutch lender.
The RBS grouping, which also comprises Belgian-Dutch group Fortis and Spain's Banco Santander, said in a statement that it had won backing from shareholders representing 86 percent of ABN shares.
The announcement effectively ends a titanic six-month take-over battle, with the deal representing the biggest-ever acquisition in the history of the European banking sector.