by Calculated Risk on 2/09/2009 10:00:00 AM

From Bloomberg: Lyondell Banks Caught in Bankruptcy Lose $3.7 Billion in Loans

The five banks that helped finance the takeover of Lyondell Chemical Co. have lost at least $3.7 billion, and that figure may climb to more than $8 billion, which would make the leveraged buyout the costliest in history for lenders.
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The financing includes $8 billion of low-ranking loans still held by the banks that may be worthless ...

Each of the five banks [Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Citigroup Inc., UBS AG, Merrill Lynch & Co. and ABN Amro Holding NV] holds $1.6 billion of so-called second- and third-lien loans, the people familiar with the situation said.

Lyondell’s losses dwarf those from the busted LBOs of the 1980s, such as Ohio Mattress Co., the $965 million takeover dubbed “the burning bed” by bond traders.

Back in 2007, when the liquidity crisis first started, many banks were stuck with LBO related pier loans (bridge loans that they couldn't sell). Now the banks are being forced to take write downs on these loans. Or in this case, since these are second and third lien loans, complete write-offs.