MADRID-- Emilio Botín, chairman of Banco Santander SA and widely
regarded as one of the most powerful people in Spain over the past
three decades, has died aged 79, the Spanish bank said
Wednesday.
Mr. Botín, who built up Santander from a small regional lender
into one of the eurozone's largest banks, died of a stroke, the
country's state-owned television network said.
Santander said in a regulatory statement that its board would
meet later Wednesday to pick a new chairman.
In recent years, observers have said Mr. Botín had privately
expressed a preference for his daughter, Ana-Patricia, to succeed
him at the helm. The Botín family is one of the largest
shareholders of the bank.
Write to David Román at david.roman@wsj.com
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