Mars family is America’s third-richest dynasty

The Mars family, whose wealth has been built on America’s sweet tooth, ranks No. 3 on Forbes’ new list of America’s Richest Families.

Forbes estimates the Mars family’s net worth at $60 billion. That includes Jacqueline, John and Forrest Mars Jr., owners of the largest candy company in the world. Mars was founded in 1911 by their grandfather, Frank Mars.

Wal-Mart’s fortunes put the Walton family at No. 1 on the list, with a net worth of $152 billion. Six Walton family members own 51 percent of Wal-Mart’s shares.

Four members of the Koch family rank as America’s second-richest family, with a net worth of $89 billion.

Other Washington area families on the list:

  • No. 32, The Rales family. Brothers Steven and Mitchell Rales, who founded Danaher Corp., have a combined net worth of $7.9 billion.
  • No. 47, The Marriott family. Seven family members of the Bethesda-based hotel giant are worth $5.7 billion.
  • No. 170, The Graham family. Five members of the family, which controlled the Washington Post for decades, are worth $1.1 billion.

You can see the full Forbes list of America’s Richest Families, here.

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