Who owns Mars?
Mars is owned by Mars, Incorporated (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 Kingdom, Slough
- Founded
- 1932
- Category
- Food › Confectionery › Chocolate
- Trademark registrant
- Mars, Incorporated (USPTO)
- Last verified
- · 2 sources
About Mars
The Mars bar was created in Slough in 1932 by Forrest Mars senior, who had fallen out with his father and moved to England to build a business of his own, adapting the American Milky Way recipe for British tastes. It has been reformulated several times, each change attracting public complaint.
Trademark record for Mars
The USPTO record for the Mars mark lists Mars, Incorporated as the owner of record (serial number 74382192). That name matches the owner named above.[2]
Ownership timeline of Mars
Where Mars 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)
- M&M's (1941)
- Maltesers (1937)
- Milky Way (1923)
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.
🇬🇧 Mars and other British brands
Brandtree records a controlling owner for 552 brands that began in the United Kingdom. 291 of them (53%) are now controlled by a company headquartered in another country, Mars among them.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the parent company of Mars?
The parent company of Mars is Mars, Incorporated, a family-owned company headquartered in the United States.
Is Mars British or American?
Mars originated in the United Kingdom in 1932, but it is owned today by Mars, Incorporated, which is headquartered in the United States. So Mars is a British-origin brand under American ownership.
Is Mars still owned by Mars, Incorporated?
Yes. As of 27 September 2026, Mars is still owned by Mars, Incorporated. 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: MARS, serial 74382192 — United States Patent and Trademark Office, Trademark registry; retrieved 27 September 2026.
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