The founders of high-end chocolate company Hotel Chocolat are in for a sweet payout of £140 million each, after agreeing a half-a-billion pound buyout from US confectionary empire Mars today.
Mars will pay £534 million for the chain, which started selling chocolate online back in 1993 before opening its first shop in Watford in 2004. More than half of that total will be shared between co-founders Angus Thirlwell and Peter Harris. as both own a 27.1% stake in the business.
