- Category:
- Richest Business › Richest Billionaires
- Net Worth:
- $54 Billion
- Birthdate:
- Oct 15, 1935 (88 years old)
- Birthplace:
- Arlington County
- Gender:
- Male
- Nationality:
- United States of America
What is John Mars' Net Worth?
John Mars is a Wyoming-based billionaire scion who has a net worth of $54 billion. John Mars serves as the chairman of the multinational Mars corporation. A member of the prominent Mars family, he is the grandson of Frank C. Mars, who started the eponymous confectionery and food company in Tacoma, Washington in 1911. As chairman of the company, Mars has overseen a number of major acquisitions, including of the animal hospital company VCA.
The son and grandson of Forrest Mars, Jr. and Frank C. Mars, respectively, John Mars is the Chairman of the Mars, Incorporated, the successful candy company with brands such as Mars, M&Ms, Milky Way, Snickers, and Juicy Fruit.
Net Worth Details
John Mars currently owns one-third of the candy company Mars Inc., with the rest being owned by his sister and four nieces. The company generates around $50 billion per year in revenue. Mars is responsible for popular candy bars such as Snickers, Twix, and Milky Way. Mars acquired gum giant Wrigley in 2008 for $23 billion.
JOHN STILLWELL/AFP/Getty Images
Early Life and Education
John Mars was born on October 15, 1935 in Arlington, Virginia to Forrest Mars Sr. and Audrey Ruth. He is the grandson of Frank C. Mars, founder of the Mars company, best known for its manufacturing of confectionery and food products. The company was developed into a highly lucrative business empire by Forrest Sr. through the introduction of popular chocolate candies. Mars had an older brother named Forrest Jr. who passed away in 2016, and has a younger sister named Jacqueline who worked at the Mars company until her retirement in 2001. As a youth, Mars attended Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut, graduating in 1953. He went on to attend Yale University.
Mars, Incorporated
One of the largest privately held companies in the United States, according to Forbes, Mars, Incorporated was started by Frank C. Mars in Tacoma, Washington in 1911. The company is best known for producing such confectioneries as Milky Way bars, Mars bars, M&M's, Snickers, Twix, and Skittles. Its non-confectionary food items include Combos, Ben's Original, Dolmio, and such pet foods as Pedigree, Nutro, and Royal Canin. Through its subsidiary Wrigley, Mars produced the popular Orbit gum. Additionally, the company offers veterinary services throughout the country and abroad.
The Mars family has consistently been ranked as among the richest families in the United States. As an heir in the family, John Mars owns shares and assets worth billions of dollars. He also serves as chairman of the company. Over the years, he has overseen a number of major acquisitions, including of the Los Angeles-based animal hospital company VCA, the snack food company Kind, and the whole-fruit snacking brand Trü Frü.
Personal Life
In June of 1958, Mars married Adrienne Bevis. The couple has three children named Linda, Frank, and Michael. A former resident of Fairfax County, Virginia, Mars now resides in Jackson, Wyoming. He is a highly private person, and from 2010 to 2014 was the highest-ranked person on Forbes' list of the richest individuals in America who didn't have a photograph available to the publication.
