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2026 Virginia Power 50 List: JACQUELINE MARS
CO-OWNER, MARS, THE PLAINS
Virginia Business //March 1, 2026//
2026 Virginia Power 50 List: JACQUELINE MARS
CO-OWNER, MARS, THE PLAINS
Virginia Business //March 1, 2026//
For decades, Mars has been listed as Virginia’s wealthiest person and in September 2025 was the 22nd wealthiest person in America, with a net worth of $42.2 billion, according to Forbes. She owns an estimated one-third of the candy, food and pet care company started by her grandfather, Frank C. Mars.
It’s now the largest private company in Virginia and the fourth largest in the country, with more than $55 billion in 2024 net sales, a number expected to rise following the company’s $36 billion acquisition of snack maker Kellanova completed in December 2025.
Now, Kellanova’s Pringles, Rice Krispies Treats, Cheez-Its and other snacks are under the Mars Snacking umbrella.
A Bryn Mawr College alumna, she serves on the Washington National Opera board, which announced in January it would end its residency at the Kennedy Center, now chaired by President Donald Trump. Mars also is vice chairman of the National Sporting Library & Museum board and an honorary life trustee of the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation.
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