Bouwfonds is an international real estate company and one of the largest in the Netherlands.

The company was established in 1946, just after the Second World War, as local government property developer with the aim to help working-class people buy their own home.

According to a recent report from the Dutch daily De Volkskrant the circumstances under which the privatization took place constitute an economic scandal.

[2] As the report claims " (...) Bouwfonds staff leaked documents to ABN Amro CEO Rijkman Groenink.

These included confidential details about a bid by ING, allowing ABN Amro to trump the offer.".