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Forrest Mars Jr.

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Forrest Mars, Jr.
BornAugust 16, 1931 (1931-08-16) (age 92)
Oak Park, Illinois
CitizenshipUnited States[1]
EducationYale University (BA/BS)
New York University (MBA)[2]
Known forMars, Inc.
Spouse(s)1st wife: Virginia Cretella (div. 1990)
2nd wife: Deborah Adair Clarke[3]. (div. in early 2010).
ChildrenVictoria B. Mars[4]
Valerie Anne Mars[5]
Pamela Diane Mars[6]
Marijke Elizabeth Mars[7]
Parent(s)Forrest Mars Sr. (1904–1999)
Audrey Mars (1910-1989)
RelativesFrank C. Mars (grandfather)
John F. Mars (brother)
Jacqueline Mars (sister)

Forrest Edward Mars, Jr. (born August 16, 1931 in Oak Park, Illinois) is the eldest son of Forrest Mars Sr. and grandson of Frank C. Mars, founders of the American candy company Mars, Incorporated. As a member of the Mars family, his share of the company and other assets were worth US$10 billion in September 2010,[2] down from US$11 billion in March 2010.[1]

Public activities

As owner of the Diamond Cross Ranch, an 82,000-acre (33,000 ha) parcel along Montana’s Tongue River and on the northern end of the Powder River Basin, Mars has been active in opposing the development of his part of what's been called "most productive coal and natural gas fields in the nation."[8] Companies that hold the oil and gas leases to his land, rights originally made possible by the Stock-Raising Homestead Act and the Mineral Leasing Act, are seeking to exercise those rights on his ranch. Mars is reportedly concerned about the large amount of water that energy exploration and production projects consume, water needed by his ranch.[8]

With the exception of a single donation supporting Bill Clinton in 1991, Mars has donated to the campaigns of Republicans.[9]

Mars and his ex-wife donated the funds that made it possible for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation to reconstruct an 18th-century coffeehouse in Colonial Williamsburg.[10]

The ex-couple made significant contributions to the privately-owned governing body for Fort Ticonderoga, though a falling-out between Executive Director Nicholas Westbrook and Mrs. Mars, led to her resignation from the board and the end of the ex-couple's financial support.[11]

Wealth

According to Forbes magazine as of 2010, he was the 52nd richest person in the world,[1] the 26th richest American,[2] and the richest Virginian.

Family

Mars married Virginia Cretella, born 1929 or 1930 (age 94–95).[12] They have four children: Victoria Mars,[4] Valerie Anne Mars,[5] Pamela Diane Mars born 1960 or 1961 (age 63–64),[6] and Marijke Elizabeth Mars born 1964 or 1965 (age 59–60).[7]

He divorced Virginia in 1990 to marry Deborah Adair Clarke. He divorced Deborah Adair Clarke in 2010.

References

  1. ^ a b c d "The World's Billionaires (2010): #52 Forrest Mars Jr". Forbes. March 3, 2010. Retrieved February 24, 2011.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Forbes 400 Richest Americans (2010): #26 Forrest Mars". Forbes. September 16, 2010. Retrieved February 24, 2011.
  3. ^ Pottker, Jan (April 29, 2008). "Sweet Secrets: Opening Doors on the Very Private Lives of the Billionaire Mars Family". Washingtonian. Retrieved February 25, 2011.
  4. ^ a b Gleick, Elizabeth (February 21, 1994). "Crisis in Candy Land". People Vol. 41 No. 7. Retrieved February 25, 2011.
  5. ^ a b "Valerie A. Mars To Wed Teacher". The New York Times. April 22, 1984. Retrieved February 25, 2011.
  6. ^ a b "WEDDINGS; Pamela Mars, Lonnie Wright". The New York Times. January 3, 1993. Retrieved February 25, 2011.
  7. ^ a b "Marijke E. Mars Weds S. J. Doyle". The New York Times. June 30, 1991. Retrieved February 25, 2011.
  8. ^ a b "Candy Billionaire Fights Energy Industry Push". Chief Engineers Association of Chicagoland. 2008. Retrieved 2009-11-05.
  9. ^ "Campaign Contribution Search: Forrest Mars » VA » 22101". NewsMeat. Retrieved 2009-11-06.
  10. ^ "R. Charlton's Coffeehouse". Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Retrieved 2009-11-06. A generous gift from Forrest and Deborah Mars made the Coffeehouse project possible. The Mars family have been prominent supporters of the Foundation for nearly 25 years.
  11. ^ "Fort Ti sees gloomy financial picture". Press-Republican. July 27, 2008. Retrieved 2009-11-06. Mr. Mars said he and his wife paid for most of the Mars Education Center. 'As far as the new center, I would think that besides not communicating with your president (Mrs. Mars) regarding the opening of it, the exhibits to be in it, the budget for operating it and a program for the future use, you might have been nice enough and polite enough to communicate with the major donor (Mr. Mars). Not a word from you to either of us. We do not even know if you can fund it.'
  12. ^ "AAVC Service to Vassar Award: Virginia Cretella Mars". Alumnae and Alumni of Vassar College. Fall 2005. Retrieved February 25, 2011.


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