Acquisition closed
Mars acquires Extra and 3 other brands (2008)
Mars completed the acquisition of Extra and 3 other brands on 6 October 2008 for $23 billion, buying from Wrigley.[1]
Mars acquired the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company for $80 a share in cash, financed in part by Berkshire Hathaway and Goldman Sachs. The deal created Mars Wrigley and made Mars the largest confectionery company in the world.
Deal facts
- Announced
- Closed
- Value
- $23 billion (equity value)
- Buyer
- Mars
- Seller
- Wrigley
- Assets
- Extra, Orbit, Skittles, Starburst
- Regulatory review
- None recorded
Ownership changes recorded from this deal
| Owner | Owned | Relationship | Stake | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mars | Extra | owns | 100% | 2008-10-06 | present |
| Mars | Orbit | owns | 100% | 2008-10-06 | present |
| Mars | Skittles | owns | 100% | 2008-10-06 | present |
| Mars | Starburst | owns | 100% | 2008-10-06 | present |
| Mars | Altoids | owns | 100% | 2008-10-06 | present |
| Mars | Life Savers | owns | 100% | 2008-10-06 | present |
| Wrigley | Extra | owns | 100% | 1984-01-01 | 2008-10-06 |
| Wrigley | Orbit | owns | 100% | — | 2008-10-06 |
| Wrigley | Skittles | owns | 100% | — | 2008-10-06 |
| Wrigley | Starburst | owns | 100% | — | 2008-10-06 |
Who owns these brands today?
Sources (1) & corrections
Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.
- [1] Mars, Incorporated — our brands — Mars, Incorporated, Official document; retrieved 6 September 2026.
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