BNP Paribas

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BNP Paribas headquarters, Paris.

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BNP Paribas, French banking, financial services, and insurance company created through the 1999 merger of Banque Nationale de Paris (BNP) and Paribas. Its headquarters are in Paris.

The company traces its history to a number of French banks. These include Banque Nationale pour le Commerce et l’Industrie (established 1932), Comptoir National d’Escompte de Paris (established 1848), Banque de Crédit et de Dépôts des Pays-Bas (founded 1863), and Banque de Paris (founded 1869).

The 1999 merger resulted when BNP attempted to prevent Paribas from merging with rival bank Société Générale, causing the hostile takeover of Paribas by BNP.