Private company

Spanish Popular Bank

Logo: Banco Popular España, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons3

Spanish bank

Banco Popular Español, S.A. (Spanish pronunciation: ) was the sixth largest banking group in Spain before it was bought by Banco Santander as part of a rescue package in June 2017.2 It was founded by Emilio González Llana y Fagoaga.1 It ceased to exist in 2018.1 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 20, 2026.

Overview

1926Founded1
  • Industryeconomics of banking, financial services1
  • HeadquartersBanco Popular headquarters, Madrid1
  • Founded inMadrid1
  • Legal formsociedad anónima1
Madrid Banco Popular Español
Photo: Javierme Javier Mediavilla Ezquibela, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons5

Banco Popular Español, S.A. (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈbaŋko popuˈlaɾ espaˈɲol]) was the sixth largest banking group in Spain before it was bought by Banco Santander as part of a rescue package in June 2017.2

Corporate structure

Spanish Popular Bank sits at the top of its group. 2 entities, 1 country on record. Switch between the flow chart and the network, and select any entity to see its details.

  • Spanish Popular Bank Banco Popular headquarters, Madrid

Built from subsidiaries, stakes and holdings from Wikidata (CC0); major holders from Schedules 13D and 13G. Each entity in the chart links to its source.

The story

Founded by Emilio González Llana y Fagoaga in 1926, in Madrid.1

Banco Popular Español (BPE) was founded in 1926.

In 1968, BPE opened a representative office in Paris that became a subsidiary that by 1991 had a network of 14 branches in France.

In 1992 BPE converted its subsidiary in France into a joint venture with Banco Comercial Português under the name Banco Popular Comercial.

BPE established a network of branches in Portugal in 2000.

In 2002 BPE and Banco Comercial Português parted ways; Banco Popular Comercial becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of Banco Popular and changed its name to Banco Popular France.

In Portugal, Banco Popular bought Banco Nacional de Crédito (BNC) and transferred its existing branches there to BNC. Later, in 2005, BNC changed its name to Banco Popular Portugal.

In 2007 BPE bought a small bank in Southern Florida (United States of America) called TotalBank for US$300 million. The bank has 20 branches in Miami Dade County and more than 400 employees.

On 7 August 2009, Banco Popular Español acquired Banco de Andalucía, which was founded as Jerez de la Frontera in 1844 and had many services in the province of Cádiz, in the territorial area of Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa María and Cádiz until 1959 when it expanded into the provinces of Seville and Huelva and changed its name to Banco de Andalucía. Spanish prosecutor José "Pepe" Grinda González believed Gennady Petrov (Russian: Геннадий Васильевич Петров) and his associates and entities related to them had bank accounts with Banco de Andalucía.

Read the full text

In 2017 SRM put Banco Popular under resolution process. All existing stocks and additional Tier 1 instruments were written down. Tier 2 instruments were converted into stocks and then sold to Banco Santander S.A. for €1. On 8 August 2017 it was announced that Banco Santander would sell its portion of Banco Popular's real estate business to the New York City-based private equity corporation Blackstone Group.

From Wikipedia’s article on Banco Popular Español, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Leadership

Who has led Spanish Popular Bank, and when. Pick a name to see everywhere that person has worked.

Products and brands

  • financial services

Listed on Wikidata.1

Timeline

  1. Sep 28, 2018Dissolved Dissolved1
  2. 1926Founded Founded in Madrid1