Who owns Life Savers?
Life Savers 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 Extra, Orbit and 2 others.[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
- Owner HQ
- 🇺🇸 United States, McLean, Virginia
- Origin
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Founded
- 1912
- Category
- Food › Confectionery › Candy & sugar confectionery
- Trademark registrant
- WM. WRIGLEY JR. COMPANY (USPTO)
- Last verified
- · 2 sources
About Life Savers
Life Savers were created in 1912 by a chocolate maker who wanted a sweet that would not melt in summer, and pressed them with a hole so they resembled life preservers. Mars holds the brand outside a few markets where it was sold separately.
Trademark record for Life Savers
The USPTO record for the Life Savers mark lists WM. WRIGLEY JR. COMPANY as the owner of record (serial number 71096594). 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 Life Savers
- 2008 – present Mars — acquired 6 October 2008 [1] reported
Where Life Savers sits in Mars
Controlling ownership as of . Brands grouped under the entity that owns them; large groups are collapsed.
- Kellanova · 10 brands
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
- Altoids (1780)
- Ben's Original (1943)
- Bounty (1951)
- Celebrations (1997)
- Cheez-It (1921)
- Combos (1976)
- Crunchy Nut (1980)
- Dolmio (1985)
- Eggo (1953)
- Extra (1984)
- Extra (1993)
- Galaxy (1960)
- Juicy Fruit (1893)
- KIND (2004)
- M&M's (1941)
- Maltesers (1937)
- Mars (1932)
- Milky Way (1923)
Other brands in candy & sugar confectionery, and who owns them
The 83 brands in candy & sugar confectionery on Brandtree belong to 36 owners. The largest is Cloetta, with 6; Mars has 3.
| Brand | Owner | Owner based in |
|---|---|---|
| Ahlgrens bilar | Cloetta | 🇸🇪 Sweden |
| Bottle Caps | Ferrero | 🇮🇹 Italy |
| Charleston Chew | Tootsie Roll | 🇺🇸 United States |
| Bon Bon Bum | Colombina | 🇨🇴 Colombia |
| Candy Kittens | Katjes International | 🇩🇪 Germany |
| Airheads | Perfetti Van Melle | 🇳🇱 Netherlands |
| Goldbears | Haribo | 🇩🇪 Germany |
| Háls | Nói Síríus | 🇮🇸 Iceland |
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.
🇺🇸 Life Savers and other American brands
Brandtree records a controlling owner for 2,550 brands that began in the United States. 479 of them (19%) are now controlled by a company headquartered in another country; Life Savers is not one of them.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the parent company of Life Savers?
The parent company of Life Savers is Mars, a family-owned company headquartered in the United States.
Is Life Savers American?
Yes. Life Savers originated in the United States in 1912 and its owner, Mars, is also headquartered in the United States.
When did Mars buy Life Savers?
Mars completed its acquisition of Life Savers on 6 October 2008, after announcing the deal on 28 April 2008. The deal, which also included Extra and Orbit and 2 others, was valued at $23 billion.
Is Life Savers still owned by Mars?
Yes. As of 27 September 2026, Life Savers 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] Mars, Incorporated — our brands — Mars, Incorporated, Official document; retrieved 16 September 2026.
- [2] USPTO: LIFE SAVERS, serial 71096594 — United States Patent and Trademark Office, Trademark registry; retrieved 27 September 2026.
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