John Franklyn Mars (born October 15, 1935) is an American businessman and heir. He is the chairman of Mars, Inc. As of October 2022, ''

Bloomberg Billionaires Index The ''Bloomberg Billionaires Index'', launched in March 2012, is a daily ranking of the world's 500 richest people based on their net worth. It draws information from "action in the stock market, economic indicators and news reports", features a ...

'' estimated his net worth at US$53 billion, ranking him the 21st-richest person in the world (tied with his sister

Jacqueline Jacqueline may refer to: People * Jacqueline (given name), including a list of people with the name * Jacqueline Moore (born 1964), ring name "Jacqueline", American professional wrestler Arts and entertainment * ''Jacqueline'' (1923 film), ...

Early life

John Franklyn Mars was born on October 15, 1935. He is the son of Audrey Ruth (Meyer) and

Forrest Mars, Sr. Forrest Edward Mars Sr. (March 21, 1904 – July 1, 1999) was an American billionaire businessman and the driving force of the Mars candy empire. He is best known for introducing Milky Way (1924) and Mars (1932) chocolate candy bars, and M&M's ( ...

, and grandson of

Frank C. Mars Franklin Clarence Mars (; September 24, 1883 – April 8, 1935) was an American business magnate who founded the food company Mars, Incorporated, which mostly makes chocolate candy. Mars' son Forrest Mars Sr., Forrest Edward Mars developed M& ...

, founders of the American candy company

Mars, Incorporated Mars, Incorporated is an American multinational manufacturer of confectionery, pet food, and other food products and a provider of animal care services, with US$40 billion in annual sales in 2021. Mars was ranked as the fourth-largest priva ...

. Mars graduated from the

Hotchkiss School The Hotchkiss School is a coeducational University-preparatory school#North America, preparatory school in Lakeville, Connecticut, United States. Hotchkiss is a member of the Eight Schools Association and Ten Schools Admissions Organization. It i ...

Lakeville, Connecticut Lakeville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States, close to Dutchess County, New York. It is within the town of Salisbury, but has its own ZIP Code (06039). As of the 2010 census, the population of Lak ...

in 1953 and

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

Career

As a member of the

Mars family The Mars family is an American family that owns the eponymous 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 Walt ...

, his share of the company and other assets were worth US$10 billion in September 2010, making him the 52nd richest person in the world and the 26th richest person in America, according to ''

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...

''. As of October 2012, Mars is listed as the 30th richest person in the world with an estimated net worth of 20.1 billion. According to the Hurun Global Rich List 2015, he was 28th richest person in the world with a net worth of US$26 billion. In 2016, his net worth went up to $29 billion and the 19th richest person in the world. In January 2017, he paid $7.7 billion for VCA, Inc, a pet care company.

Personal life

He married Adrienne Bevis in June 1958. They have three children: Linda Anne Mars born , Frank Edward Mars born , and Michael John Mars born . He formerly lived in

Fairfax County, Virginia Fairfax County, officially the County of Fairfax, is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is part of Northern Virginia and borders both the city of Alexandria and Arlington County and forms part of the suburban ring of Washington, D.C. ...

but now resides in

Jackson, Wyoming Jackson is a town in Teton County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 10,760 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, up from 9,577 in 2010. It is the largest town in Teton County and its county seat. Jackson is the principal town of ...

. In the 2010 to 2014 Forbes rankings of personal wealth, Mars was the highest ranked person whose photograph was unavailable to the magazine. In March 2015, Queen Elizabeth II awarded him an honorary knighthood at Windsor Castle.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mars, John Franklyn 1935 births Living people Businesspeople in confectionery Mars family American billionaires Hotchkiss School alumni Yale University alumni Place of birth missing (living people) Honorary Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire 20th-century American businesspeople 21st-century American businesspeople