Forrest Mars Sr.
Forrest Mars Sr. built a global candy and petfood empire.
Forrest Edward Mars Sr. was born on March 21, 1904, in Wadena, Minnesota, the only child of Frank Mars and his first wife, Ethel Gale Mars. Following his parents’ divorce, he was raised by his maternal grandparents in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, and saw little of his father. He attended the University of California, Berkeley, before transferring to Yale University, where he earned a degree in industrial engineering in 1928. In 1930, he married Audrey Ruth Meyer, with whom he had three children: Forrest Jr., John, and Jacqueline.
Mars began working at his father’s company in 1929, the year it moved to Chicago. He supervised the development of Snickers and 3 Musketeers bars and claimed to have proposed the Milky Way bar after drinking a malted milkshake. However, a disagreement over international expansion led to a falling out with his father. Mars took a $50,000 buyout, including foreign rights to Milky Way, and moved to England. There, he founded his own Mars company in Slough, creating the Mars chocolate bar in 1932 and Maltesers in 1936. He also bought Chappel Bros, a canned dog meat firm, and launched Chappie’s canned food. During this period, he briefly worked for Nestlé and Tobler.
After World War II began, Mars returned to the United States. He started Food Products Manufacturing, establishing Uncle Ben’s Rice and a pet food business called Pedigree. In partnership with Bruce Murrie, he developed M&M’s in 1940—a chocolate candy with a hard shell that “melts in your mouth, not in your hands,” possibly inspired by Smarties. Peanut M&M’s followed in 1954, which Mars helped develop despite being allergic to peanuts. Murrie later left the venture.
Following his father’s death, Mars gained control of Mars, Inc. in 1964, merging it with his own British company. He ran the firm until 1973, when he handed it to his children. In retirement, he founded Ethel M Chocolates in Henderson, Nevada, named after his mother; Mars, Inc. bought it in 1988. Even into old age, he frequently called his children to complain about company management. Mars was inducted into Forbes’ U.S. Business Hall of Fame in 1984. He died at age 95 on July 1, 1999, in Miami, Florida, with a fortune of $4 billion. Known for a disagreeable personality and fierce business intelligence, he kept the company strictly private, banned press contact, and lived frugally. He approved only one inte
- field
- Business, confectionery, petfood
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- Mars chocolate bar, Maltesers, M&M's, Uncle Ben's Rice, Pedigree Petfoods, Ethel M Chocolates
Lore & Background
Forrest Edward Mars Sr. was a tall, lean man with a stern, intense demeanor, often described as disagreeable yet highly intelligent. He kept his businesses strictly private, banning press contact and refusing to publish financial accounts. Despite amassing a vast fortune, he lived frugally and raised his children in the same manner, avoiding publicity and approving only a single interview in his lifetime. His range of influence spanned from his birthplace in Minnesota to Canada, where he was raised by grandparents, and later to Europe. In England, he founded a Mars company in the town of Slough, creating the Mars chocolate bar and Maltesers, and expanded into pet foods with Pedigree. After returning to the United States during World War II, he established a joint venture that produced M&M’s chocolate, and another venture with a Texan businessman created Uncle Ben’s Rice. Following his father’s death, he merged his British company with the family business in Chicago, taking control in 1964. His defining characteristics included a relentless drive for expansion, a hands-on approach to product development—such as proposing the Milky Way bar after a malted milkshake—and a strict, frugal personal ethos. He retired in 1973, handing the company to his children, but continued to voice concerns about its management into his old age. In retirement, he founded Ethel M Chocolates in Nevada, named after his mother.
Reader's Guide
Forrest Mars Sr. He expanded Mars Inc. into petfoods with Pedigree, and after merging his British operations with his father's company, he built a privately held empire that he kept strictly out of the public eye. Mars banned talking to the press, did not publish financial accounts, and led a frugal lifestyle despite being one of the richest Americans. His 'disagreeable' personality was paired with high business intelligence. He was inducted into Forbes' U.S. His legacy includes a lasting impact on confectionery and petfood markets, and his insistence on privacy shaped the Mars company culture for decades. He left the business jointly to his three children.
Frequently Asked Questions
What iconic products did Forrest Mars Sr. create?
He is credited with developing the Mars chocolate bar, Maltesers, M&M's, and Uncle Ben's Rice, all of which became household names across multiple continents.
Why is Forrest Mars Sr. considered a major figure in business history?
He transformed a family candy operation into one of the world's largest privately held food companies, with a legacy spanning chocolate, rice, and petfood industries.
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