It is fully controlled by the Mars family, who are the sole owners of the corporation. Mars chocolate is part of the Mars Wrigley division, which also includes other major confectionery brands. Discover who owns Hershey Company, its shareholders, CEO, annual revenue, and major brands. Learn about the Hershey Trust’s control and its global success. The answer is a definitive no. Hershey and Mars, while both titans of the chocolate world, are independent entities with unique brand identities and ownership structures. Hershey, a beloved American chocolate brand, is primarily owned by the Hershey Trust Company, which holds a substantial majority of the Class B stocks, granting it significant control over the company’s decisions and direction. Understanding the structure of these companies and their history is crucial to answering the question: Is Mars owned by Hershey? The simple answer is no, but the story is more nuanced and involves decades of competitive rivalry and distinct corporate strategies. Shortly before World War II, Bruce Murrie, son of long-time Hershey's president William F.R. Murrie, struck a deal with Forrest Mars to create hard sugar-coated chocolates that would be called M&M's (for Mars and Murrie). Following the death of Frank Mars in 1934, the Mars company ownership was placed into the hands of his widow's family. [28] Ethel V. Mars served as president, but company activities were otherwise run by her half-brother, William Kruppenbacher. Where did that chocolate coating come from? Hershey, of course. In those days, Mars was a client, not a rival. Without competition, Hershey enjoyed the luxury of not having to worry about. The Mars family own Mars Inc., one of the world's largest candy, petcare and food companies, with sales of $65 billion. Find the distribution by types of shareholders of The Hershey Company listed on the NYSE stock exchange. Discover the geographical origin of the shareholders of The Hershey Company.