Is Twix a British brand?

Twix was introduced in the United Kingdom in 1967 by Mars. However, Mars is an American company headquartered in McLean, Virginia. Twix was sold under the name Raider in Continental Europe until 1991, when Mars standardized the name to Twix globally.

Is Mars publicly traded?

No. Mars, Incorporated is a private family-owned company controlled by the Mars family of Virginia. The company does not publicly trade shares and does not file public financial reports. Mars is valued at over $137 billion according to Bloomberg.

What is Twix's market position?

Twix is one of the top five best-selling candy bars globally, sold in over 110 countries. In the UK, Twix has 36 percent consumer penetration, ranking fourth among Mars chocolate brands. In Germany, Twix reaches 30 percent consumer penetration.

Did Mars acquire Kellanova?

Yes. Mars completed its $35.9 billion acquisition of Kellanova on December 11, 2025. The acquisition added Pringles, Cheez-It, Pop-Tarts, and other snack brands to Mars' portfolio. The combined Mars Snacking business is expected to generate approximately $36 billion in annual revenues.

Why was Twix called Raider?

Twix was sold as Raider in Continental Europe from its introduction until 1991, when Mars standardized the brand name globally to Twix. Some European consumers, particularly in Germany and Scandinavia, still refer to the product as Raider.

Food & Beverage

Who Owns Twix?

Q: Who owns Twix?

Twix is owned by Mars, Incorporated, a private American family-owned company headquartered in McLean, Virginia. Mars is the world's largest confectionery company with approximately $54.6 billion in annual sales. The Mars family controls the company and does not publicly trade shares.

Twix is owned by Mars, Incorporated, a private American confectionery and food company headquartered in McLean, Virginia. Mars is the world's largest confectionery company with an estimated $54.6 billion in annual sales and a valuation exceeding $137 billion. Mars completed its $35.9 billion acquisition of Kellanova on December 11, 2025, bringing Pringles, Cheez-It, and Pop-Tarts into its portfolio. Twix was introduced in the UK in 1967 and is one of the top five best-selling candy bars globally, sold in over 110 countries. The global chocolate confectionery market was valued at $129.6 billion in 2025, with Mars holding approximately 12 percent market share.

Parent Company

Mars, Incorporated

Founded

1967

Status

Private

Headquarters

McLean, Virginia, USA (Mars)

Twix Timeline

1911

Mars, Incorporated

Parent company established in McLean, Virginia, USA

Company Founded

1967

Twix

Founded by Mars, Incorporated

Founded

mid rangeglobal top 5 candy barGlobalall-agescocoa sustainabilityresponsible sourcingcocoa and forests initiativeOfficial Website

Who Owns Twix?

Parent Company: Mars, Incorporated
Ownership Type: Wholly owned
Company Type: Privately Held

Brand	Parent Company	Ownership Type
Twix	Mars, Incorporated	Wholly owned

Where to Buy

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Twix on Amazon

History of Twix

Founded: 1967
Founders: Mars, Incorporated

Twix launched in the United Kingdom in 1967 as a caramel and shortbread biscuit bar coated in milk chocolate, sold as a twin pack with two individual bars sharing a wrapper. The twin bar format became the product's defining characteristic and the basis of decades of advertising.

The brand reached the United States in 1979. In Continental Europe, the product was sold under the name Raider until 1991, when Mars standardized the name globally to Twix. Some European consumers still refer to the product as Raider in nostalgic contexts, particularly in Germany and Scandinavia.

The "Left Twix/Right Twix" advertising campaign, positioning the two bars in a pack as made by rival factories using different but identical processes, became a widely recognized US marketing campaign starting in the 2010s. The campaign ran for years and generated significant social media engagement, with consumers debating which side they preferred.

Twix has expanded beyond its original format with variants including Twix White (white chocolate coating), Twix Dark (dark chocolate coating), Twix Extra Caramel, and Twix Minis (bite-size pieces). The brand also produces Twix ice cream bars and seasonal products. Mars Snacking invests more than $200 million in product innovation every year, including a bespoke AI tool to forecast emerging trends and a $42 million Global Research and Development Hub at its Chicago headquarters.

About Mars, Incorporated

What does Mars, Incorporated own?
Mars owns a portfolio of approximately 50+ brands across pet care, confectionery, savory snacks, and food categories. Its most recognized brands include M&M's, Snickers, Twix, Pedigree, Whiskas, Royal Canin, Pringles, Cheez-It, and Pop-Tarts. The company also owns the world's largest veterinary hospital network through Banfield, BluePearl, and VCA. The Kellanova acquisition in December 2025 added Pringles, Cheez-It, Pop-Tarts, RXBAR, and Kellogg's cereal brands to the portfolio.

Is Mars, Incorporated publicly traded?
No, Mars, Incorporated is entirely privately held by the Mars family. The company has never been publicly traded and has no stock exchange listing. This private ownership structure has been a consistent feature since the company's founding in 1911 and is enshrined in the company's Five Principles as the principle of "Freedom."

Who founded Mars, Incorporated?
Mars was founded by Frank C. Mars in 1911 in Tacoma, Washington. Frank Mars started the company producing butter cream candies. His son, Forrest Mars Sr., later joined the business and drove its global expansion, developing M&M's in 1941 and establishing Mars operations in the United Kingdom. The Mars family has maintained ownership and control across multiple generations.

Where is Mars, Incorporated headquartered?
Mars, Incorporated is headquartered in McLean, Virginia, USA, in the Washington metropolitan area. The Mars Snacking division is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, following the Kellanova acquisition. The company operates manufacturing facilities and offices in more than 80 countries worldwide.

How many brands does Mars, Incorporated own?
Mars owns approximately 50+ brands across its four primary segments. The portfolio includes 9 billion-dollar brands in snacking alone (M&M's, Snickers, Twix, Skittles, Pringles, Cheez-It, Pop-Tarts, Kellogg's, and Dove/Galaxy), plus major pet care brands including Pedigree, Whiskas, and Royal Canin. The company also operates veterinary service brands including Banfield, VCA, and BluePearl.

Who owns Mars, Incorporated?
Mars, Incorporated is owned entirely by the Mars family, descendants of founder Frank Mars and his son Forrest Mars Sr. The family has maintained complete ownership across multiple generations, making Mars one of the world's largest family-owned businesses. No external investors, private equity firms, or public shareholders hold equity in the company.

What was Mars's largest acquisition?
Mars's largest acquisition was the $36 billion purchase of Kellanova, completed on December 11, 2025. Kellanova's portfolio included Pringles, Cheez-It, Pop-Tarts, RXBAR, and Kellogg's international cereal brands. The deal created a combined Mars Snacking division generating approximately $36 billion in annual revenue. Prior to Kellanova, Mars's largest acquisition was the approximately $23 billion purchase of Wrigley in 2008.

What is Mars's annual revenue?
Mars generates approximately $65 billion in annual revenue (FY2025, estimated). The company does not publicly disclose detailed financial results because it is privately held. Revenue estimates come from company press releases, credit rating agencies, and reputable business press. Following the Kellanova acquisition, Mars's snacking division alone generates approximately $36 billion in annual revenue.

Founded: 1911
Headquarters: McLean, Virginia, USA
Company Type: Privately Held
Revenue: approximately $65 billion (FY2025, estimated)
Employees: approximately 170,000

Visit Mars, Incorporated website

View full company profile for Mars, Incorporated

Where Is Twix Made / Based?

Headquarters: McLean, Virginia, USA (Mars)

Twix Categories & Tags

Chocolate Candy Bar Caramel Mars Global Brand

Twix Sustainability & Ethics

Twix's sustainability profile is tied to Mars' corporate sustainability initiatives and the broader challenges of cocoa sourcing in the chocolate industry.

Cocoa Sourcing and Child Labor: Approximately 70 percent of the world's cocoa is grown in West Africa, primarily in Ivory Coast and Ghana. Decades of industry reports have documented child labor and poverty wages in cocoa farming supply chains for all major chocolate companies, including Mars. The industry has repeatedly set and missed self-imposed deadlines to eliminate child labor from supply chains.

Cocoa and Forests Initiative: Mars participates in the Cocoa and Forests Initiative, an industry collaboration aimed at ending deforestation associated with cocoa farming. The initiative has published progress reports, but results are widely regarded as insufficient relative to the scale of the problem.

Cocoa Price Volatility: The cocoa price crisis of 2023 to 2025, when prices surged 365 percent, highlighted the vulnerability of cocoa supply chains to climate-related disruptions. While cocoa prices collapsed in early 2026, the underlying structural issues in cocoa supply chains, including low farmer incomes and climate vulnerability, remain unresolved.

Mars Sustainability Targets: Mars has set corporate sustainability targets including commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across its supply chain. The company's Five Principles (Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency, and Freedom) guide its corporate responsibility approach. However, Mars does not publish detailed supply chain wage data or comprehensive farm-level impact metrics for its cocoa sourcing.

Packaging: Mars has committed to making all packaging recyclable, reusable, or compostable by 2025. The company has been working on reducing plastic packaging across its confectionery products, including Twix packaging.

Twix Recalls & Controversies

Cocoa Supply Chain Ethics: Twix, like all Mars chocolate products, faces ongoing ethical concerns related to cocoa sourcing. Child labor, deforestation, and poverty wages in West African cocoa supply chains remain systemic issues. Mars participates in sustainability initiatives but has not eliminated these issues from its supply chain.

Cocoa Price Inflation and Shrinkflation: During the 2023 to 2025 cocoa price crisis, chocolate manufacturers including Mars faced criticism for reducing product sizes while maintaining or increasing prices, a practice known as shrinkflation. Consumers and consumer advocacy groups have highlighted this practice across the confectionery industry.

Health and Nutrition Concerns: Twix, like other candy bars, faces ongoing criticism from public health advocates for its high sugar and calorie content. The global snacking market is shifting toward healthier options, with 91 percent of people consuming at least one snack per day and 63 percent having at least two. Mars has responded by releasing low-sugar, high-protein versions of some of its brands, though Twix has not yet received this treatment.

Private Label Competition: The growth of private label chocolate brands, which reached 27.6 percent value market share in 2025, poses a competitive challenge to branded products like Twix. Private label products typically offer lower prices, attracting price-sensitive consumers who may switch from branded products during periods of inflation.

Twix Ownership: Pros & Cons

Advantages

+Mars is the world's largest confectionery company with $45 billion in confectionery brand value, providing Twix with unmatched distribution scale across over 110 countries
+Mars' private family ownership allows long-term investment in brand building without quarterly earnings pressure, enabling strategies like the multi-year "Left Twix/Right Twix" campaign
+The $35.9 billion Kellanova acquisition (completed December 2025) expands Mars' snacking infrastructure and retail presence, benefiting all Mars confectionery brands
+Mars invests over $200 million annually in product innovation, including AI tools for trend forecasting and a $42 million R&D hub in Chicago
+Mars' diversified portfolio across confectionery, pet care, and food provides financial stability that supports Twix through commodity price fluctuations

Considerations

-Cocoa price volatility (365 percent surge in 2023 to 2025, collapse in 2026) creates ongoing cost pressure for chocolate products
-Child labor and deforestation in West African cocoa supply chains remain unresolved ethical issues for all Mars chocolate brands
-Private label chocolate brands are gaining market share (27.6 percent in 2025), pressuring branded products on price
-Health and nutrition concerns about high sugar content may limit growth as consumers shift toward healthier snacks
-Mars does not report Twix-specific financial results, limiting transparency about the brand's individual performance
-Shrinkflation criticism during cocoa price inflation may damage consumer trust in branded chocolate products

Frequently Asked Questions About Twix

Sources & Further Reading

Competitors to Twix

These competing brands operate in the same categories and provide similar products or services. Compare key attributes to understand market positioning and competitive landscape.

Brand	Parent Company	Country	Founded	Market Position	Primary Market	Gender Target
Milky WaySister Brand	Mars Inc	USA (Mars)	1923	Mass market	Global	All-consumers
SnickersSister Brand	Mars Inc	USA	1930	Mass market	Global	Unisex
Baby Ruth	Ferrero	Italy	1921	Mass market	United states	All-ages
Butterfinger	Ferrero	USA	1923	Mass market	United states	All Genders
Cadbury	Mondelez International	England	1824	Mass market	Global	All Genders
Magnum	Unilever	Netherlands	1989	Premium	Global	All-ages