Banesto, or Banco Español de Crédito, was once the dazzling emblem of Spain's booming 1980s, the flagship of the country's new-found love affair with capitalism. Big, brash and bold, it was headed up by the flamboyant and high-flying financier Mario Conde.
Although the bank's origins date back to the beginning of the last century, it was not until the late 1980s that it became a household name. However, overly aggressive expansion under the leadership of Conde â and not a small amount of mismanagement â soon led to its collapse. In the early 1990s trouble hit.
