Who owns M&M's?
M&M's is owned by Mars (the United States).[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
- Owner HQ
- 🇺🇸 United States, McLean, Virginia
- Origin
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Founded
- 1941
- Category
- Food › Confectionery › Chocolate
- Trademark registrant
- MARS, INCORPORATED (USPTO)
- Last verified
- · 2 sources
About M&M's
M&M's were created in 1941 with a hard sugar shell so that chocolate could be carried by soldiers without melting, an idea Forrest Mars reportedly took from seeing Spanish Civil War troops eating shelled chocolate pellets. The two Ms are Mars and Murrie, the partner whose father ran Hershey.
Trademark record for M&M's
The USPTO record for the M&M's mark lists MARS, INCORPORATED as the owner of record (serial number 71442665). That name matches the owner named above.[2]
Ownership timeline of M&M's
Where M&M's 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)
- Life Savers (1912)
- Maltesers (1937)
- Mars (1932)
- Milky Way (1923)
Founded in the 1940s
- IAMS (1946)
Other brands in chocolate, and who owns them
Mars has more brands in chocolate on Brandtree than any other owner: 9 of 131.
| Brand | Owner | Owner based in |
|---|---|---|
| Cadbury | Mondelēz | 🇺🇸 United States |
| Danusia | Wawel | 🇵🇱 Poland |
| Elizabeth Shaw | Colian | 🇵🇱 Poland |
| Baby Ruth | Ferrero | 🇮🇹 Italy |
| Almond Joy | Hershey | 🇺🇸 United States |
| Caffarel | Lindt & Sprüngli | 🇨🇭 Switzerland |
| Eitt Sett | Nói Síríus | 🇮🇸 Iceland |
| Águila | Arcor | 🇦🇷 Argentina |
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.
🇺🇸 M&M's 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; M&M's is not one of them.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the parent company of M&M's?
The parent company of M&M's is Mars, a family-owned company headquartered in the United States.
Is M&M's American?
Yes. M&M's originated in the United States in 1941 and its owner, Mars, is also headquartered in the United States.
Is M&M's still owned by Mars?
Yes. As of 27 September 2026, M&M's 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: M&M'S, serial 71442665 — United States Patent and Trademark Office, Trademark registry; retrieved 27 September 2026.
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