The Mars family controls Mars, the confectionery company behind M&M’s, Snickers and Milky Way.
Frank C. Mars began making candy in Tacoma, Washington, in 1911. His son, Forrest Mars Sr., joined the business and helped create the Milky Way bar in 1923. Mars later introduced M&M’s in 1941 and Snickers in 1930, making the company one of the world’s best-known privately held food businesses.
The family name is often confused with the planet Mars or with individual candy brands. The company is formally Mars, Incorporated, while the family is commonly called the Mars family. Its products later expanded beyond confectionery into pet care, food and veterinary services.
Mars has remained private rather than becoming a publicly traded corporation. That structure means its ownership is not represented by ordinary stock-market listings, unlike many major food companies. The family’s business interests have therefore remained closely associated with the Mars name across several generations.