Rio Tinto Co Ltd

Notes:

Traces origins to 1873 when the Spanish government sold copper mines at Rio Tinto, Huelva, Spain, along with a concession to build a railway linking the mines to the sea, to the London merchants, Matheson & Co led by Hugh Matheson. The price was an extremely large one. Shortly afterwards the Rio Tinto Co Ltd was formed to acquire the mines, the small syndicate financing it gradually selling its shares to the public. By 1900 had developed into a world leading mining business. From 1925 diversified into mining outside Spain, notably Zambia, where its interests were eventually consolidated into Rhokana Corp. Spanish mines were sold in 1950s. 1962, in a major transaction, merged with Consolidated Zinc of Australia to become Rio Tinto Zinc Corp. Subsequently completed several other major acquisitions, most notably the aluminium business, Alcan, of Canada, in 2007. Continues at Rio Tinto Plc in 2015