1 week Ago By Alex West
King of chocolate , Milton Hershey, is set to become the subject of a new biopic, leaving fans wondering what he was really like in life. The businessman started out making caramel, launching the Lancaster Caramel Company, but began getting experimental with chocolate on the side. He sold his company to, instead, focus on chocolate full time .
Hershey set a goal of creating affordable milk chocolate with an affinity for being mass produced. After succeeding in his goal, he launched a new factory in 1903 in a small farm area in Pennsylvania . He established a town that now bears his name.
The company town housed employees of the factory and included homes, public transportation, and more. In fact, Hershey was so dedicated to his employees that he even opened a small park for entertainment, which eventually became the famous theme park Hersheypark, which still hosts tourists today. Hershey's massive wealth was swiftly acquired, but he was dedicated to using it for philanthropic efforts.
He, along with his wife Catherine, started a school for orphaned boys to which he endowed his entire fortune. The school today, the Milton Hershey School acts as a private boarding school for underprivileged youth and has become entwined with the local community. National Today estimated Milton Hershey's net worth at $100 million.
This money, upon his death, was put into the Hershey Trust Company, which manages the large contributions he made, including the Milton Hershey School, which boasts the largest with $17.4 billion of assets as of 2021. It includes a controlling stake in The Hershey Company, including Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company, an offshoot of the main business.
The front-facing Hershey company specializes in their sweets, which expand far beyond just chocolate to include snacks like Twizzlers and Jolly Ranchers. However, the company also gains revenue from their entertainment company, which focuses on resorts, concert productions, and their world-famous theme park. Additionally, the town of Hershey includes attractions like Chocolate World, which boasts a free information ride, the Hershey Story, and more.
These endeavors set the company at an approximate $35.99 billion net worth, according to MacroTrends . The live-action film Hershey will star Finn Wittrock as Milton Hershey and Alexandra Daddario as Catherine Hershey.
It will be directed by Mark Waters, who is known for Freaky Friday and Mean Girls. The movie is set for a 2026 release date, with filming set to start across Pennsylvania in May. Mark told Variety, “Against all odds, Milton achieved great success, but unlike a lot of other wealthy men of his time, he shared his success with the working people and community around him.
The core of Hershey, the movie, will be the special love story between Milton and Catherine Hershey, who inspired his greatest legacy — the creation of Milton Hershey School. I’m excited to have Finn Wittrock and Alexandra Daddario to portray these two visionaries, who believed in leaving the world a better place than they found it — the kind of wonderful, true story that audiences are hungry for right now.” DAILY NEWSLETTER: Sign up here to get the latest news and updates from the Mirror US straight to your inbox with our FREE newsletter.
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