1. Vodafone Group Buys Mannesmann AG
In 2000, Vodafone shocked the world by pulling off the biggest corporate takeover in history; a staggering $180–190 billion bid for Germany’s Mannesmann. What began as an aggressive battle soon turned into a merger that created the world’s largest mobile operator, reshaping global telecommunications forever. The deal didn’t just change business; it broke records, sparked political debates, and proved that no company was too big to be bought.