KfW (Germany)

KfW is a state-owned development bank that was founded in 1948 with Marshall Plan funds and is one of Germany's most important. It is home to various subsidiaries and group units, the most important of which being KfW Förderbank, the bank's promotional business that offers finance for housing, environmental initiatives, and, more recently, student loans. It also owns a small and medium-sized business lending group (KfW Mittelstandsbank), a development group (KfW Entwicklungsbank), consultancy services, and various corporate finance companies. KfW also has stock in a number of significant German firms, including Deutsche Post, Deutsche Telekom, and Commerzbank.

Although it is often regarded as the safest bank in the world, it is not without controversy. It famously "accidentally" transmitted €300 million to the disastrous Lehman Brothers bank on the day it declared bankruptcy, and despite the firing of two board members for the "technical error," it managed to repeat the trick in 2017, unintentionally moving €7.6 billion to four other banks. It presently has assets worth more than $556 billion.

Type: Public law legal entity (Statutory corporation)
Website: www.kfw.de