HONG KONG, Nov 16 (Reuters) - A Citigroup-led investment team won a 24.3 billion yuan ($3.1 billion) bid for control of Guangdong Development Bank (GDB), capping a battle for the troubled southern China lender that lasted for more than a year. Citigroup (C.N: Quote, Profile, Research), top life insurer China Life Insurance Co. (2628.HK: Quote, Profile, Research) (LFC.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and China's State Grid Corp. are each taking 20 percent stakes in the Chinese bank, according to a statement cited by a GDB official on Thursday. International Business Machines (IBM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) will take a 4.7 percent stake, while China's CITIC Trust and Investment and Puhua Investment will take respective 12.8 and 8 percent stakes. The consortium, which only recently confirmed its members and the size of their stakes, bested France's Societe Generale (SOGN.PA: Quote, Profile, Research), which had teamed up with China's Baoshan Iron and Steel Co. (600019.SS: Quote, Profile, Research) and top Asian oil refiner Sinopec Corp. (600028.HK: Quote, Profile, Research)
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