I have to admit I was unaware that upon the death of Forrest Mars Sr. (1999), 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. I never paid much attention to the Forbes list.
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. One of these sons, Forrest Mars Jr., died in 2016, and his four daughters inherited his wealth, with three of them working for the company as of 2019. 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, even wealthier than any royal family, such as the Al Saud dynasty of the absolute monarchy in Saudi Arabia.
Candy still generates big money and Mars Wrigley is a privately held company, so every time you pick up a Snickers, M&M’s or Ben’s Original Rice you are helping their fortune grow. $37 billion in annual sales in 2020.