Corporate Acquisitions

Merrill Lynch Turns Into a Black Hole for Bank of America

One deal too many. That could be the epitaph of many CEOs -- Jerry Levin of Time Warner (TWX) and Ken Thompson of Wachovia (WFC) come to mind -- who built their companies through ever-bigger mergers and then watched those crowning acquisitions become their downfall. Now the question is: Will Merrill Lynch come to represent Bank of America (BAC) CEO Ken Lewis' Waterloo as well?

BusinessWeek |