Valerie Mars Net Worth

Valerie Mars has an estimated net worth of $12.6 billion, according to Forbes Real-Time Billionaires, Valerie Mars profile (figures as of October 20, 2026). That is up from $6 billion in 2019.

Valerie Mars is an American businesswoman and a fourth-generation member of the Mars family. Mars is a major food company tied to candy and pet food, two areas Forbes connects to her wealth. Her great-grandfather, Frank Mars, founded the company in 1911. She joined Mars in 1992 and later became vice president of corporate development. She also serves on the company’s board, giving her a direct role in strategy and major business decisions.

Her wealth comes from ownership in the family company. In 2016, Valerie Mars and her three sisters each inherited an estimated 8% stake in Mars after their father, Forrest Mars Jr., died. That ownership made her one of the richest heirs in the food business. She has also held outside board roles, including Fiat Chrysler from 2014. Forbes put her net worth at $12.6 billion on its real-time billionaires tracker as of October 20, 2026.

How Valerie Mars built her fortune

Most of Valerie Mars’s wealth comes from her stake in Mars, the company behind a large food business that includes candy and pet food. She was not listed by Forbes as self-made. Instead, her position reflects family ownership that passed down through generations. After joining the company in 1992, she moved into corporate development and took on a leadership role that connects her to deals, planning, and long-term growth inside the business.

Her financial position is also tied to governance and expansion. Mars sits on the company’s board of directors, which puts her close to major decisions. In December 2025, Mars acquired snack company Kellavova for $35.9 billion including debt, one of the biggest business moves mentioned in her Forbes profile. She also serves on the board of directors of Fiat Chrysler, adding another high-level corporate role outside the family company.

How Forbes valued her fortune

Forbes tracked a steady rise in Valerie Mars’s fortune across several years. Its World's Billionaires List estimated her wealth at $6 billion in 2019, then $6.2 billion in 2020. The figure moved up to $7.8 billion in 2021 and $7.9 billion in 2022. By 2023, Forbes estimated $9.6 billion, and it kept that same number in 2024. Those changes followed her inherited ownership in Mars and the value attached to the company.

The estimate continued climbing after that. Forbes put her at $10.7 billion in 2025 and $12.3 billion in 2026 on its World's Billionaires List. On Forbes’ real-time billionaires tracker, the figure later reached $12.6 billion in October 2026. Her wealth is closely linked to her estimated 8% stake in Mars, so changes in the company’s value and major corporate activity, including the Kellavova deal, are central to how that estimate moves.