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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Jasper Jolly

Hotel Chocolat founders to land £280m after it agrees £534m Mars takeover

Hotel Chocolat Mars Angus Thirlwell Peter Harris United Kingdom United States
Hotel Chocolat luxury handmade chocolates
Hotel Chocolat is to expand in the UK and abroad after the Mars takeover. Photograph: David Kilpatrick/Alamy

Hotel Chocolat’s founders are poised for a £280m payday after the upmarket chocolates maker agreed to a £534m takeover by the US food company Mars at a big premium to the UK firm’s market value.

The chief executive of Hotel Chocolat, Angus Thirlwell, and fellow founder Peter Harris and their family trusts hold shares that will be valued at £140m apiece after the takeover, which was announced on Thursday morning.

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