Mars and Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway are close to a pact to acquire Wm. Wrigley Jr. for more than $22bn billion in a deal that would remake the global confectionary landscape, reports the WSJ. A deal would unite two icons of the US candy business: Wrigley, maker of the eponymous chewing gum, and Mars, the closely held company behind Snickers chocolate bars and M&M’s. The transaction was expected to be announced as early as Monday, said people familiar with the matter. Terms of the deal weren’t clear, but Wrigley has a stock market value of about $17.3bn and it appeared that the buyers were prepared to offer a rich premium.
