The history of candy dates back to Ancient China and the Roman Empire. In those times, honey was used instead of sugar, into which fresh fruits were dipped. Modern candies only appeared in the 1700s in America, brought by the French and the English. For a long time, sweets were available only to wealthy people, as sugar was quite an expensive product.
Quality candies are still valued, and some candy manufacturers have become true chocolate magnates. Today we present to you the Top 5 billionaires whose sweets are in huge demand all over the world!
5. WILLIAM WRIGLEY – OWNER OF WRIGLEY’S GUM
William Wrigley Jr. is the great-grandson of the founder of the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company. In 1999, he significantly increased his fortune, becoming the largest supplier of chewing gum in the world. How did he achieve this? He developed sugar-free gum and began promoting it as an exclusively healthy product. And the world believed him! Despite his achievements and nearly 120 years of the company’s history, in 2008 Wrigley agreed to sell Wrigley’s Chewing Gum to Mars Candy for $23 billion after stepping down as CEO.
4. AXEL OBERWELL – OWNER OF TOFFIFFEE CANDY
Have you tried these delightful candies with caramel inside? Surely you have! Axel Oberwell is the owner of this caramel empire, where he made his first billion. The businessman of German descent currently serves as the CEO of August Storck Group, a confectionery company based in Berlin. This company produces several well-known European candy brands such as Werther’s Original, Riesen, and Toffiffee. Additionally, Axel inherited about $4 billion from his father, the previous owner of the company.
3. AUGUSTO AND GEORGIO PERFETTI – OWNERS OF CHUPA CHUPS
The Perfetti brothers inherited a fortune of $7.4 billion by taking over their father’s company – Perfetti Van Melle. This company started by producing chewing gum and made a significant fortune from it. However, the owners soon expanded their product range and acquired several confectionery companies, including the world-famous Chupa Chups. Now they produce not only Chupa Chups but also Mentos, Fruittella, and Smint. These sweets can certainly be found in the cars of many gentlemen and in ladies' handbags, bringing in billions of dollars annually.
2. MICHELE FERRERO – OWNER OF FERRERO CANDIES
Michele Ferrero is the richest man in Italy and the first of the confectionery magnates to make it to Forbes' list of the 100 richest people in the world at number 22. He is the owner of the chocolate giant Ferrero SpA, founded by his father. Ferrero has created an entire empire, producing not only chocolate of the same name. Their product range includes Nutella, Kinder Chocolate, Kinder Eggs, and Tic Tacs. The company generates over $10 billion in net income annually, and the chocolate magnates' fortunes exceed $27 billion.
1. THE MARS FAMILY – OWNERS OF MARS CHOCOLATE
The Mars family consists of three siblings who currently effectively run the chocolate business! Their stake in the company is worth $20 billion. Mars, Inc. is the largest confectionery company in the world with annual sales exceeding $30 billion. They also own well-known pet food brands such as Pedigree and Whiskas. Let’s hope they don’t mix up the recipes… Their revenues are not surprising, considering that M&M's produced by Mars are the most popular candies in the world, bringing in $1.8 billion annually. Additionally, these chocolate giants produce such well-known sweets as Mars Bar, Snickers, Milky Way, and Maltesers.
Source: deztop
