Mars family

White stone mausoleum with iron doors and "Mars" engraved near the top
Private mausoleum in Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis

The Mars family is an American family that owns the confectionery company Mars Inc. In 1988, the family was ranked as the richest family in the United States of America by Fortune magazine. It has since been surpassed by the Walton family and the Koch family, and was ranked as the third richest family in America in 2016.[1]

Upon the 1 July 1999 death of Forrest Mars Sr., he and his two sons were ranked No. 29, 30, and 31 by Forbes magazine's list of richest Americans, and they each had a worth of approximately $4 billion. In March 2010 the three children of Forrest Mars were tied for 52nd place amongst the world's richest people, according to Forbes, with a net worth of US$11 billion each.[2][3][4] One of these sons, Forrest Mars Jr., died on 26 July 2016, and his four daughters inherited his wealth, with three of them working for the company as of 2019.[5] As of April 2020, the combined private fortune of the family members was estimated at around $126 billion, making them one of the richest families in the world.[6]

The family is very protective of their privacy. They rarely, if ever, give press interviews or, with the exception of Jacqueline Mars and Victoria B. Mars, are photographed in public.[7]

A 2006 report quantified how the Mars family was among 18 billionaire families, starting in the 1990s, who continuously lobbied Congress to eliminate the estate tax.[8]

  1. ^ Dolan, Kerry A. "Billion-Dollar Clans: America's 25 Richest Families 2016". Forbes. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Billionaires 2010 Forrest Mars Jr. was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Billionaires 2010 John Mars was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Billionaires 2010 Jacqueline Mars was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Hoffower, Hillary (March 31, 2019). "The mysterious family behind the $127 billion Mars chocolate empire". Newcastle Herald. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  6. ^ "10 of the Wealthiest Families in the World". Investopedia.
  7. ^ "Party Pictures 3/29/06 – A little Washington and Palm Beach". www.newyorksocialdiary.com. Archived from the original on May 5, 2013. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  8. ^ "Spending Millions to Save Billions: The Campaign of the Super Wealthy to Kill the Estate Tax" (PDF). Public Citizen. April 2006.