Who owns KitKat?
KitKat is owned by Nestlé (Switzerland, SIX: NESN).[1]
This ownership is reported in official statements but has not yet been matched to a regulatory filing.
Key facts
- Current owner
- Nestlé S.A. reported
- Owned since
- Not recorded
- Previous owner
- None recorded
- Owner HQ
- 🇨🇭 Switzerland, Vevey
- Origin
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom, York
- Founded
- 1935
- Category
- Food › Confectionery › Chocolate
- Parent ticker
- SIX: NESN
- Last verified
- · 1 sources
About KitKat
KitKat was created by Rowntree's of York in 1935 as Rowntree's Chocolate Crisp, four fingers of wafer in chocolate designed as a snack a worker could carry in a lunch box. Nestlé acquired it with Rowntree in 1988 and owns it worldwide except in the United States, where The Hershey Company holds a perpetual licence.
Ownership timeline of KitKat
Where KitKat sits in Nestlé
Controlling ownership as of . Brands grouped under the entity that owns them; large groups are collapsed.
- Aero
- Boost
- Carnation
- Cerelac
- Chocapic
- Coffee mate
- Felix
- Fitness
- Friskies
- Garden Gourmet
- Gerber
- Häagen-Dazs
- Hot Pockets
- KitKat
- La Lechera
- Lean Cuisine
- Maggi
- Milo
- NAN
- Nescafé
- Nescafé Dolce Gusto
- Nescafé Gold Blend
- Nescau
- Nespresso
- Nesquik
- Nesquik Ready to Drink
- Nestlé Toll House
- Perrier
- Purina
- S.Pellegrino
- Smarties
- Stouffer's
- Vittel
Open the full Nestlé ownership tree →
Other brands owned by Nestlé in food
Latest news about KitKat
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Frequently asked questions
Who is the parent company of KitKat?
The parent company of KitKat is Nestlé, a publicly listed company headquartered in Switzerland.
Is KitKat owned by Hershey?
No. KitKat is owned by Nestlé, not Hershey.
Is KitKat British or Swiss?
KitKat originated in the United Kingdom in 1935, but it is owned today by Nestlé, which is headquartered in Switzerland. So KitKat is a British-origin brand under Swiss ownership.
Is KitKat still owned by Nestlé?
Yes. As of 6 September 2026, KitKat is still owned by Nestlé. The ownership record was last checked against primary sources on that date.
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] Nestlé S.A. Annual Report 2025 — Nestlé S.A., Annual report, published 19 February 2026; retrieved 6 September 2026.
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