Starburst is owned by Mars (the United States), which acquired the brand on 6 October 2008 from Wrigley.[1][1] Before Mars, Starburst was owned by Wrigley to 2008.[1]
This ownership is reported in official statements but has not yet been matched to a regulatory filing.
Starburst chews were launched in Britain in 1960 as Opal Fruits, with a name chosen in a competition, and renamed Starburst in 1998 to unify the brand internationally. The change was unpopular enough in Britain that the original name has been revived for limited periods since.
Controlling ownership as of . Brands grouped under the entity that owns them; large groups are collapsed.
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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.
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The parent company of Starburst is Mars, a family-owned company headquartered in the United States.
Starburst originated in the United Kingdom in 1960, but it is owned today by Mars, which is headquartered in the United States. So Starburst is a British-origin brand under American ownership.
Mars completed its acquisition of Starburst on 6 October 2008, after announcing the deal on 28 April 2008.
Before Mars, Starburst was owned by Wrigley until 2008.
Yes. As of 6 September 2026, Starburst is still owned by Mars. The ownership record was last checked against primary sources on that date.
Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.
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