Brandtree

Who owns Extra?

Extra, a food brand from the United States, is owned by Mars (the United States), which acquired the brand on 6 October 2008 from Wrigley, as part of a $23 billion deal that also included Orbit, Skittles and Starburst.[1] Before Mars, Extra was owned by Wrigley from 1984 to 2008.[1]

This ownership is reported in official statements but has not yet been matched to a regulatory filing.

Evidence: Mars, Incorporated — our brands. Last checked .

Key facts

Current owner
Mars, Incorporated reported
Owned since
· deal details
Deal price (whole deal)
$23 billion (equity value) for 4 brands
Previous owner
Wrigley (1984–2008)
Owner HQ
🇺🇸 United States, McLean, Virginia
Origin
🇺🇸 United States
Founded
1984
Category
Food › Confectionery › Gum & mints
Trademark registrant
Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company (USPTO)
Last verified
· 2 sources

About Extra

Extra is a sugar-free chewing gum launched by Wrigley in 1984, sold on dental benefit and on chewing after eating. It is the largest gum brand in several markets including the United Kingdom, and Mars acquired it when it bought Wrigley in 2008 for $23 billion.

Trademark record for Extra

The USPTO record for the Extra mark lists Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company as the owner of record (serial number 73442011). A trademark is often held by a group company rather than the listed parent, so the registrant's name can differ from the owner named above.[2]

Ownership timeline of Extra

Owners of Extra over 1984 to 2026 Wrigley 1984–2008; Mars 2008–present Wrigley Mars 1990200020102020
  1. 1984 – 2008 Wrigley — sold 6 October 2008 [1] reported
  2. 2008 – present Mars — acquired 6 October 2008 [1] reported

Where Extra sits in Mars

Controlling ownership as of . Brands grouped under the entity that owns them; large groups are collapsed.

Where Extra sits in Mars Tree of 42 brands under Mars. Mars Kellanova Cheez-It Crunchy Nut Eggo Extra Nutri-Grain Pop-Tarts and 4 more Extra Altoids Banfield Pet Hospital Ben's Original Bounty Celebrations and 26 more

Open the full Mars ownership tree →

See the full Mars brand portfolio (42) →

Other brands owned by Mars

Mars controls 42 brands on Brandtree, 31 of them in food.

Also in food

Founded in the 1980s

All Mars brands →

Other brands in gum & mints, and who owns them

Mars has more brands in gum & mints on Brandtree than any other owner: 5 of 22.

BrandOwnerOwner based in
Menthoplus Arcor 🇦🇷 Argentina
Läkerol Cloetta 🇸🇪 Sweden
Fresh Kenafric 🇰🇪 Kenya
Dubble Bubble Tootsie Roll 🇺🇸 United States
Tic Tac Ferrero 🇮🇹 Italy
Biodent Golrang Industrial Group 🇮🇷 Iran
Ice Breakers Hershey 🇺🇸 United States
Lotte Xylitol Lotte 🇰🇷 South Korea

Every brand in gum & mints and its owner →

About the owner: Mars

Mars is a family-owned company headquartered in McLean, Virginia, United States, founded in 1911. Brandtree records 42 brands under its control.

Mars is one of the largest privately held companies in the world, owned by the Mars family since Frank Mars began making sweets in Tacoma in 1911. It publishes no financial statements. Its four segments are snacking, pet nutrition, food and Mars Wrigley, and it agreed to acquire Kellanova in 2024.

Mars: full profile, brands and acquisition history →

🇺🇸 Extra and other American brands

Brandtree records a controlling owner for 2,549 brands that began in the United States. 478 of them (19%) are now controlled by a company headquartered in another country; Extra is not one of them.

All American brands and who owns them →

Deals involving Extra

Acquisition closed

Mars acquires Extra, Orbit, Skittles and Starburst

Mars acquired the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company for $80 a share in cash, financed in part by Berkshire Hathaway and Goldman Sachs. The deal created Mars Wrigley and made Mars the largest confectionery company in the world.

Value
$23bn
Buyer
Mars
Seller
Wrigley
Regulatory
None recorded

Frequently asked questions

Who is the parent company of Extra?

The parent company of Extra is Mars, a family-owned company headquartered in the United States.

Is Extra American?

Yes. Extra originated in the United States in 1984 and its owner, Mars, is also headquartered in the United States.

When did Mars buy Extra?

Mars completed its acquisition of Extra on 6 October 2008, after announcing the deal on 28 April 2008. The deal, which also included Orbit, Skittles and Starburst, was valued at $23 billion.

Who owned Extra before Mars?

Before Mars, Extra was owned by Wrigley from 1984 until 2008.

Is Extra still owned by Mars?

Yes. As of 27 September 2026, Extra is still owned by Mars. The ownership record was last checked against primary sources on that date.

Sources (2) & corrections

Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.

  1. [1] Mars, Incorporated — our brands — Mars, Incorporated, Official document; retrieved 16 September 2026.
  2. [2] USPTO: EXTRA, serial 73442011 — United States Patent and Trademark Office, Trademark registry; retrieved 27 September 2026.

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