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Forrest Edward Mars, Jr. is the son of Forrest Mars Sr. and grandson of Frank C. Mars, founders of the giant American candy company Mars, Incorporated. As a member of the Mars family, his share of the company and other assets are worth US$9.0 billion as of March 2009 , making him the 46th richest person in the world, the 19th richest American, and the richest Virginian according to Forbes magazine.

Public activities

• As owner of the Diamond Cross Ranch, an 82,000-acre (33,000 ha) parcel along Montana’s Tongue River and on the northern end of the Powder River Basin, Mars has been active in opposing the development of his part of what's been called "most productive coal and natural gas fields in the nation."^[1] Companies that hold the oil and gas leases to his land, rights originally made possible by the Stock-Raising Homestead Act and the Mineral Leasing Act, are seeking to exercise those rights on his ranch. Mars is reportedly concerned about the large amount of water that energy exploration and production projects consume, water needed by his ranch.^[1]
• With the exception of a single donation supporting Bill Clinton in 1991, Mars has donated to the campaigns of Republicans.^[2]
• Mars and his ex-wife donated the funds that made it possible for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation to reconstruct an 18th-century coffeehouse in Colonial Williamsburg.^[3]
• The ex-couple made significant contributions to the privately-owned governing body for Fort Ticonderoga, though a falling-out between Executive Director Nicholas Westbrook and Mrs. Mars, led to her resignation from the board and the end of the ex-couple's financial support.^[4]

References

External links

• World's Richest People