Victoria Mars spent decades working inside Mars and served as board chair, but the billionaire-scale ownership stake behind her fortune came through inheritance from her father in 2016. [1][2]
A long operating career preceded the inheritance
Mars began working at her family's company in 1978 as an assistant brand manager in France. That gave her a long operating career inside Mars Incorporated well before the inheritance that later made her personal stake worth billions of dollars. [1]
She later served as chair of the Mars board for three years before stepping down in 2017. Mars still identifies Victoria as a family member and board member, showing that her connection to the business extends beyond passive ownership. [1][2]
The company itself was founded by her great-grandfather Frank Mars in 1911. Forbes says Victoria and her three sisters each inherited an estimated 8% stake after their father Forrest Mars Jr. died in 2016, making inherited family equity the main asset behind her billionaire status. [1]
Family ownership is designed for long-term reinvestment
Mars says its family owners reinvest more than 90% of profits back into the company. That policy helps compound the value of the privately held business across generations, while Victoria's board role gives her a continuing stewardship connection to that family capital. [2]
Mars Incorporated's sales, acquisitions and total enterprise value are company-level measures rather than Victoria Mars's personal wealth. Her fortune is better understood as the value of the family stake she inherited, alongside a multidecade record of operating and governance work inside the business. [1][2]
Sources for background
Sources reviewed Sep 17, 2026.
- Victoria Mars · Forbes · Sep 15, 2026
- The Mars Compass Provides Direction & Transparency · Mars, Incorporated
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