thumb|right|alt=White stone mausoleum with iron doors and "Mars" engraved near the top|Private [[mausoleum in Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis]]
The Mars family is an American family that owns the 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 Walton family and the Koch family, and was ranked as the third richest family in the United States in 2016.
Upon the 1 July 1999 death of Forrest Mars Sr., he and his two sons were ranked No. 29, 30, and 31 by Forbes magazine's list of richest Americans, and they each had a worth of approximately $4 billion. In March 2010 the three children of Forrest Mars were tied for 52nd place amongst the world's richest people, according to Forbes, with a net worth of each. As of April 2020, the combined private fortune of the family members was estimated at around $126 billion, making them one of the richest families in the world.
A 2006 report quantified how the Mars family was among 18 billionaire families, starting in the 1990s, who continuously lobbied Congress to eliminate the estate tax.
Family members
- Franklin Clarence Mars (September 24, 1883 – April 8, 1935) – founder of Mars, Inc. Invented the Milky Way bar.
- Ethel G. Kissack (September 29, 1882 – April 11, 1980)
- Philip Michael White – husband of Valerie Anne Mars (married 1984)
- Stephen J. Doyle – husband of Marijke Elizabeth Mars (married 1991)
- Stephen M. Badger (born September 18, 1968) – son of Jacqueline Mars and David Badger
- Christa M. Badger (born 1975) – daughter of Jacqueline Mars and David Badger
- Ethel Veronica Healy (1884 – December 20, 1945) – second wife of Frank C. Mars (married 1910, widowed 1934), president of Mars Candy Company, Chicago, after death of husband
- William Furst – husband of Patricia Mars
- Alan Feeney – husband of Patricia Mars
References
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