Jacqueline Mars

Jacqueline Mars
Born October 10, 1939 (age 75)[1][2]
Residence The Plains, Virginia, US[3]
(formerly Bedminster, NJ)
Citizenship American[3]
Education Miss Hall's School
Alma mater Bryn Mawr College[3]
Known for Mars, Inc. fortune
Net worth Increase US$ 27.2 billion (April 2015)[4]
Spouse(s) David H. Badger (m. 1961–84)
Hank Vogel (m. 1986–94)[1]
Children Alexandra Badger[5]
Stephen M. Badger
Christa Badger
Parent(s) Forrest Mars, Sr. (1904–1999)
Audrey Mars (1910–1989)
Relatives Frank C. Mars (grandfather)
Forrest Mars, Jr. (brother)
John Mars (brother)

Jacqueline Mars (born October 10, 1939) is an American heir, the daughter of Forrest Mars, Sr., and granddaughter of Frank C. Mars, founders of the American candy company Mars, Incorporated. In 2014, Forbes described Mars as the 20th richest American.[6] According to Hurun Global Rich List 2015 she is 28th richest person in the world with a net worth of US$ 26 billion.

Biography

Mars attended and graduated from the boarding school Miss Hall's School in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. She graduated from Bryn Mawr College[3] in 1961 with a degree in anthropology.[1]

She married David H. Badger in 1961.[1] They had three children: Alexandra Badger born 1966/1967 (age 48–49),[5] Stephen Mills Badger born c.1969 (age 45–46), and Christa Badger born c.1975 (age 39–40). She divorced Badger in 1984. She married Hank Vogel in 1986; they divorced in 1994.[1]

She is a trustee of the US Equestrian Team, and sits on the board of directors for the Washington National Opera, the National Sporting Library and Fine Arts Museum.[7][8]

Wealth

As a member of the Mars family, Mars' shares of Mars, Incorporated and other assets were estimated by Forbes magazine in September 2014 to be worth US$22 billion (the same as the estimated wealth of each of her brothers, John Franklyn Mars and Forrest Mars, Jr.). Forbes described Mars as the 20th richest American, #22 on its list of "The World's Billionaires" and the third-richest woman in the US.[3]

2013 automobile accident

On October 4, 2013, Mars was driving alone on U.S. Route 50 in Aldie, near her home in The Plains in northern Virginia, at about 2:30 pm when her 2004 Porsche SUV crossed the highway center line and struck a Chrysler minivan carrying six passengers. Irene Ellisor, an 86-year-old woman, died at the scene.[9] The female driver of the minivan, who was eight months pregnant, was hospitalized in critical condition and subsequently miscarried. The other four passengers in the minivan were also briefly hospitalized, as was Mars, who released a statement several days later expressing sorrow for the loss of life and injuries.[10][11][2] The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office investigated the accident and on November 4, 2013 Mars was charged with reckless driving.[12] A search warrant affidavit filed by the Sheriff's Office stated that Mars told a witness immediately after the accident that she had fallen asleep at the wheel.[13]

On December 5, 2013, Mars pleaded guilty in Loudoun County General District Court to the original misdemeanor charge of reckless driving. Though the judge could have sentenced Mars to as much as one year in jail, Ellisor's relatives asked the judge not to incarcerate Mars and indicated that they had forgiven her. Mars also read a statement in open court before the sentencing expressing her intention to help the surviving victims and her belief that she will "always live with the grief and loss caused by this tragedy". According to testimony by the prosecutor, tests revealed no trace of drugs, alcohol or medications in Mars' system that could have caused a blackout.[14]

The judge agreed to consider the requests of the accident victims and their families and said she would not impose a jail sentence, noting that Mars had an "otherwise perfect driving record" in Virginia and that in her opinion, "This is an accident, unfortunate as it is". Mars was ordered to pay a fine of US$2,500 and her driver's license was suspended for six months.[14]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Gleick, Elizabeth (February 21, 1994). "Crisis in Candy Land". People Vol. 41 No. 7. Retrieved February 25, 2011.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Driver In Fatal Rt. 50 Crash Identified As Mars Company Heiress". Leesburgtoday.com. 2013-10-08. Retrieved 2013-10-19.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 "Profile: Jacqueline Mars". Forbes. July 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
  4. ↑ "The World's Billionaires". Forbes. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Miss Badger to Marry Andrew Carey". The New York Times. March 3, 1991. Retrieved February 25, 2011.
  6. ↑ "Inside The 4013 Forbes 400 - Facts and Figures On America's Wealthiest". Forbes. 2014-09-23.
  7. ↑ "Jacqueline Mars - Forbes". Forbes. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  8. ↑ "Jacqueline Mars Net Worth - TheRichest". The Richest. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  9. ↑ "Irene C. Ellisor of Huntsville, TX dies in crash in Va.". wusa9.com. 2013-10-07. Retrieved 2013-12-05.
  10. ↑ "Jacqueline Mars, candy firm co-owner, was driver in fatal wreck: cops". CNN. 2013-10-09. Retrieved 2013-10-19.
  11. ↑ "Pregnant Victim In Billionaire Jacqueline Mars' Car Crash Lost 8-Month-Old Unborn Baby". Forbes. 2013-10-10. Retrieved 2013-10-19.
  12. ↑ Freed, Benjamin (2013-10-29). "Jacqueline Mars Charged With Reckless Driving in Fatal Crash". Washingtonian. Retrieved 2013-10-30.
  13. ↑ "PD: Mars Candy Heiress Fell Asleep Behind Wheel Prior to Fatal Accident". WRC-TV, Washington, DC. 2013-10-21. Retrieved 2013-11-18.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Gibson, Caitlin (2013-12-05). "Mars company co-owner pleads guilty in fatal crash in Loudoun, fined $2,500". Washington Post. Retrieved 2013-12-05.