Today there are several wealthy families all over the world whose wealth has been passed down from generation to generation over the centuries. An example of such families are The Members of The Mars Family.
The family owns some of the popular candy bar brands such as Mars Bars, M&Ms, Snickers, Twix and Skittles are manufactured under the Mars, Inc. brand. The members of the Mars family have existed for over 120 years and have increased their wealth from generation to generation. Learn more about the influential family and its members below.
Mars Dynasty Biography
Building an $89 Billion DynastyBehind just two families in the world as the world’s third richest family is no walk in the park. Interestingly, Mars family patriarch Franklin Clarence Mars started his company Mars, Incorporated from scratch after inventing the Milky War bar in 1911. Franklin had learned how to dip candies from his mother, a business his mother ran at the time. Through his own ingenuity, he took the knowledge and founded a company, Mars Candy Factory, in 1911. He co-founded the company with Ethel V. Mars, another member of the future dynasty, who was his second wife.
Convinced of the viability of his business idea, Frank Mars relocated his wife and family to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he rebuilt the company and named it Mar-O-Bar Co after the first attempt failed. The company made chocolate bars, and its gradual growth led to the now well-known name of Mars, Incorporated.
The second step to building a dynasty is involving your children, and Frank Mars did just that before he died. He brought his son Forrest Edward Mars Sr. on board as a key member of the company. He applied his son’s ideas and created the Milky Way. The idea turned out to be a great success, and the candy bar became the company’s best-selling brand.
The company, which started in Minnesota, moved to Bakersfield, California in 1929 and expanded to the UK in 1932 with products such as 3 Musketeers Bar, Mars Bar and Snickers.
The Martian family is known for their extreme secrecy, a fact that has increased their size. With the exception of Jacqueline Mars and Victoria B. Mars, no family member is allowed to make public statements or give press interviews. Today, members of the Mars family own a company with annual sales of over $35 billion, over 80,000 employees and 20 manufacturing facilities around the world.
Who are the members of the Martian family?
There were several members of the Mars family from different generations. Since its founding by Franklin Clarence Mars, the family has had four generations of greatness. Key members of the family include:
Franklin Clarence Mars
As previously mentioned, Franklin is the founder of the food company that we all know today as Mars Incorporated. The sole purpose of the company is the manufacture of chocolates and chocolates. Born in Minnesota in 1882, he learned how to hand dip chocolate from his mother. He was married twice, first to Ethel G. Kissack and second to Ethel Veronica Healy. Franklin founded the company with his second wife in Tacoma Washington before they moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota. He died of heart problems in 1934 and left the company to his son Forrest.
Forrest Edward Mars Jr
He was born on August 16, 1931, he took over the Mars company after his father passed it on. He renamed the company and made many more changes than his father. At the time of his death, his value was estimated at over $20.1 billion. He married Virginia Cretell and had four children – Victoria B. Mars, Valerie Anne Mars and Pamela Diane Mars with her.
Jacqueline Mars
She was born on October 10, 1939. She is an American heiress and investor, and the daughter of Audrey Ruth (Meyer) and Forrest Mars, Sr., and the granddaughter of Frank C. Mars, founder of the American candy company Mars, Incorporated. She contributed immensely to the country’s growth and as of June 2018, Forbes ranked her as the 38th richest person in the world with a net worth of $23.2 billion.
John Franklin Mars
He was born October 15, 1935, to Audrey Ruth (Meyer) and Forrest Mars, Sr., and grandson to Frank C. Mars. John graduated from the Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut in 1953 and also attended Yale University. According to Forbes, he is the 26th richest person in America.
As of the date this article was last updated, the company is currently owned by Franklin’s grandchildren Clarence Mars, Jacqueline Mars, John Franklyn Mars, and Forrest Mars Jr., who are all children of Forrest Edward Mars Sr. Badger , already the chairman of the company. Other notable children in the Mars family include Valerie Anne Mars, Victoria B. Mars, Pamela Mars-Wright, and Marijke Elizabeth Mars.
How much are they worth?
Currently members of the Mars family, owners Jacqueline, John and Forrest Mars are believed to be individually worth $23.6 billion. The family currently stands as the third richest family in the world behind the Koch brothers with a net worth of $120 billion and the Walton family – owners of retail chain Wal-Mart with a net worth of $174.5 billion.
The family’s fortune is believed to remain third in the world as they refuse to make Mars, Incorporated a public company, unlike the first two names on the list.