Gummi Bears Marketer Hans Riegel Dies

They say that behind every great man is a greater woman.

For Hans Riegel, who died in Germany yesterday at the age of 90, it wasn't a woman, but the Gummi Bear.

Riegel spent nearly 70 years building his father's small Haribo candy business into a Gummi empire, employing more than 6,000 workers, and bringing in an estimated $3 billion in revenue.

Haribo started by making "dancing bears" in small batches in the elder Riegel's kitchen sink.

In the 1960s, the current Gummi bears — technically called "Gold-Bears" — emerged from Haribo's factories, creating a candy revolution.

When asked why he spent seven decades making candy, Riegel replied, "I love children. I have to be informed about what they want to nibble."