NRW.BANK (Germany)

This financial organization, known as the development bank of North Rhine-Westphalia, was founded in 2002 as NRW.BANK and has offices in both Münster and Dusseldorf. It is a public institution that is held by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

NRW.BANK provides structural support to the state's economic and political objectives, and despite harsh criticism for its use of Credit Default Swaps (CDSs), which are assumed to be safe but are really unlawful, the bank remains in the top ten on this list. It now has around $169 billion in assets.

Type: Anstalt des öffentlichen Rechts(public agency)

Website: www.nrwbank.de