MARIJKE is her name. Marijke Mars. Born in Veghel, the Netherlands, because that’s where Mars’ European headquarters is located.
Snickers, M&M, Bounty, Milky Way, Mars.
Forrest and Virginia Mars and their family came from America to Holland’s south on Grandpa Mars’ orders, to build the factory. Orders, literally, because Forrest senior behaved like an unmitigated jerk within the family. So when the factory caught fire three days before it opened, Forrest junior was loudly and publicly dressed down like a small boy – even though he had nothing to do with the fire.
The family loved Veghel. Far away from the old tyrant, but also because of Brabant. Another daughter, Victoria Mars, who eventually became the top boss of the Mars empire, still speaks Dutch today. And Marijke owes her name to it.
Why a giant Mars presence in the Netherlands? Because Europe eats a lot more chocolate than America does, 20 lbs per capita, twice as much as Americans. You wouldn’t think so, but still.
Either way, the love is reciprocal because America has been snacking on Dutch Cocoa for years and usually puts that on the labels. The process of making consumer chocolate is called “dutching.” Compliments of the Van Houten company that invented it. The earlier chocolate was too bitter, people were not fond of it. Until father and son Van Houten in Weesp figured out a way, by adding a little alkali to the cocoa, to make the product decidedly tastier, and then the entire world followed their example. Van Houten is now part of the famous Hershey conglomerate in Pennsylvania.
Mars is now huge, headquarters just outside Washington: chocolate, but also Wrigley’s gum, dog food, Whiskas, Juicy Fruits, Skittles, Life Saver, Uncle Ben’s rice, veterinary clinics. That’s why the four Mars sisters are billionaires.
Which definitely makes Marijke from Veghel, with seven billion in the bank, the richest Marijke in the world.
Marijke Mars
