Biggest all-time M&A transactions in Europe as of 2024

The ten all-time largest M&A deals to take place in Europe all happened between 1999 and 2015. As of May 2024, the largest deal remained the 1999 acquisition of Mannesmann AG by Vodafone AirTouch PLC for 202.8 billion U.S. dollars. 

Europe’s biggest M&A deals

Mannesman A.G. was a German industrial conglomerate, originating in 1890 as the manufacturer of steel pipes. Their success in the area of telecommunications was the reason for the takeover by the British company. Also in the ranking was SABMiller Plc., who were acquired by Anheuser-Busch InBev, the multinational beverage and brewing company with global headquarters in Belgium in 2015, for the price of 101 billion U.S. dollars or 92 billion euros. SABMiller Plc. was a brewing and beverage company headquartered in Woking near London, United Kingdom. Prior to the acquisition, it was the world's second largest brewer in terms of revenues. This acquisition helps to explain the jump in revenues Anheuser experienced in subsequent years.

M&A in Europe

2020 saw a decline in both M&A volume and value as compared to previous years. This decline is likely due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which affected the appetite for M&A among executives in the United States.