Citi works tirelessly to provide consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial services and products. We strive to create the best outcomes for our clients and customers with financial ingenuity that leads to solutions that are simple, creative and responsible. The bank's long tradition of innovation, flexibility and professional experience has resulted in its success in becoming a truly global leading financial institution. Today Citi is present in close to a 100 countries and does business in 160 markets across the world.
History
City Bank of New York, the predecessor of Citibank was founded in 1812. The bank's early history was marked by its rapid growth. In 1894, it became the largest bank in the US and by 1902, the bank had expanded into Asia. By 1940, it was the largest international bank in the world with 100 branches in 23 countries outside the USA. The bank's name was changed to Citibank in 1976. In the 1980's Citibank began to serve consumer clients internationally and in 1981 it purchased the license of Diners Club International, the credit card franchise.
Citibank's worldwide expansion gained even greater momentum in October 1998 when it merged with Travelers Group Inc. The largest financial institution in the world was born under the name of Citigroup.
You can read more on Citi's history here.