I LOVE Bank Mergers!

[Arks]

Normally, being old and grouchy and set in my ways, I don't like change, and I've never liked how banks keep merging and changing their names and requiring new checks and all that goes with it.

But two of our local banks have been engulfed and devoured by larger banks in the last year, and both times the new owner bank has sent teams of people to town, sometimes for a couple of weeks, to facilitate the change of ownership, and they fill my inn with very clean, professional business travelers who each want their own room and who make few demands. I'm lovin' it!

 

[Generic]

I'd be waiting forever for that to happen around here. My bank was established in 1817. And the big banks around here were all established in the late 19th century.

 

[Arks]

I'd be waiting forever for that to happen around here. My bank was established in 1817. And the big banks around here were all established in the late 19th century.

Here it has been going on for a couple of decades. Big banks buying small ones. Bigger banks buying the big ones. My own bank was established in 1880, and the local owners said, don't worry, we'll never sell.

Then a larger bank here in the state came along and offered them twice what it was worth, so they sold. Then an even larger bank came along and bought them out. Now it's a big bank in Louisiana buying the whole chain. Eventually, at this rate, CitiBank and Chase Manhattan will own them all.

 

[gillumhouse]

Unfortunately soon the entire Country will be controlled by a small number of banks, small number of pharmaceuticals, consortiums and Bill Gates will own all the farmland (or most of it (saw that Gates is the largest private owner of land in USA), and any other vital need. Money has become the control of all.

 

[Generic]

Here it has been going on for a couple of decades. Big banks buying small ones. Bigger banks buying the big ones. My own bank was established in 1880, and the local owners said, don't worry, we'll never sell.

Then a larger bank here in the state came along and offered them twice what it was worth, so they sold. Then an even larger bank came along and bought them out. Now it's a big bank in Louisiana buying the whole chain. Eventually, at this rate, CitiBank and Chase Manhattan will own them all.

Well, my bank just bought the Bank of the West (which I assume will eventually become branches of BMO Harris). Which incidentally already has branches in KS and MO. And with Bank of the West, will increase the number of branches

One of our banks is already in the Top 10 in the US. And one is one of the largest banks in Central/South America.

We were in Antigua and standing at one corner and three of the four corners were banks from here.... though, they don't all use their local names.

 

[Generic]

Unfortunately soon the entire Country will be controlled by a small number of banks, small number of pharmaceuticals, consortiums and Bill Gates will own all the farmland (or most of it (saw that Gates is the largest private owner of land in USA), and any other vital need. Money has become the control of all.

Actually, he isn't. The largest private landowner in the US is John Malone with 2.2M acres. Gates owns about 0.3M acres, which puts him at about 35th, but Bezos is about 25th. Ted Turner is 3rd but it's used for grazing the largest private bison herd in the world. The Simplot family is 22nd... they make fries for McDonald's and other companies.

 

[Arks]

John Malone... Gates...Bezos...Ted Turner...Simplot family.

I guess it's an improvement over a few years ago, when we heard "the Japanese" were buying up the whole USA. And before that, the rumor was the Saudi royal family. It's always something.

It's an interesting list of the top 100 land owners, and I didn't even make the list!
Land Report 100 Largest Landowners In The U.S. | The Land Report

 

[Generic]

I guess it's an improvement over a few years ago, when we heard "the Japanese" were buying up the whole USA. And before that, the rumor was the Saudi royal family. It's always something.

It's an interesting list of the top 100 land owners, and I didn't even make the list!
Land Report 100 Largest Landowners In The U.S. | The Land Report

The Irving Family owns a lot of land in Canada as well. They are in the oil business, but they also do wood/trees, which is why they own vast tracts for land. Don't know about the US, but in Canada, they have to plant when they cut. They hire students for summer works who just go around planting trees all over their land.

 

[gillumhouse]

I believe it is plant 2 for every 1 in the USA.