Big personalities in banking battle

The near-$100 billion battle for ABN Amro features a blue blood vs. a blue collar. In one corner, John Varley, CEO of Barclays, Oxford-educated, from a family of long-standing historic repute in British finance. In the other: Frederick Goodwin, CEO of Royal Bank of Scotland Group. He is the son of an electrician, who still dabbles in old cars. His nickname according to the New York Times is Fred the Shred, for his job cutting after big deals. For years, both executives have had their eyes on the Dutch banking giant. The stars never aligned for either--until now. The stock's poor performance has prompted a battle, one that is not yet finished. It's not inconceivable that we'll see a higher bid.

For more:
- here's the article from the New York Times