William Wrigley, Jr.

William M. Wrigley Jr. was an American chewing gum industrialist. He was founder and eponym of the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company in 1891.

  • In 1999 William “Beau” Wrigley Jr., an heir to the Wrigley’s chewing gum fortune, took over the business his great-grandfather started in 1891.
  • Wrigley Jr., who was CEO, expanded the company in 2005 by purchasing Altoids and Life Savers from Kraft Foods for $1.46 billion.
  • In 2008, he sold the Chicago-based firm to candy giant Mars Inc. for $23 billion in cash.
  • In November 2018, Wrigley became CEO of Surterra Wellness after leading a $65 million investment into the medical marijuana company.
  • Wrigley is on the board of the Everglades Foundation, which works to restore and protect the Florida national park’s ecosystem.

William Wrigley Jr Wrigley Jr Company