Forrest Mars Sr.: Driving Force Behind Mars Inc. and Creator of M&M's
Business Owner · Food & Beverage
Forrest Mars founded a rival Mars company in Slough, England, created the Mars bar and Maltesers, launched M&M's in 1941 and Uncle Ben's Rice, and took control of his father's company in 1964.
About Forrest Mars Sr.: Driving Force Behind Mars Inc. and Creator of M&M's
Forrest Edward Mars Sr. (March 21, 1904 to July 1, 1999) was an American billionaire businessman and the driving force of the candy company Mars Inc. until 1973. Born in Wadena, Minnesota, the only child of Franklin Clarence Mars, he started working at his father's company in 1929, the year it moved to Chicago. Wanting to expand abroad and estranged from his father, Forrest moved to Europe, where he founded his own Mars company in the English town of Slough. There he created the Mars chocolate bar in 1932 and Maltesers in 1936, making Mars a major candy company in Britain, and he expanded into pet food by founding Pedigree Petfoods. After the start of World War II he lived in the United States, where he created a joint venture that led to the creation of M&M's chocolate in 1941 and, in another venture with a Texan businessman, Uncle Ben's Rice. He won control of his late father's Chicago company in 1964, merging his own British-based Mars company into it, handed the company to his children in 1973 and later founded Ethel M Chocolates. Sources: English Wikipedia (Forrest Mars Sr., accessed September 2026).
Basic Information
Founder of Mars Limited (UK) and driving force of Mars Inc. (1904-1999)
Company Details
Mars, Incorporated
Confectionery, Pet Food, Food Manufacturing
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