Sweet and Vicious: The True Origins of Willy Wonka
World famous chocolatier, Willy Wonka, is once again in the news, this time on the heels of a report that hot young actor Timothée Chalamet has signed on to play Wonka in a biopic film about his origins. While there’s little doubt surrounding the public’s interest in learning more about a man who wears a purple suit and arranges elaborate lotteries to torment children, there is a growing concern that Hollywood will once again gloss over a troubled, complicated past for profit.
While Wonka may be beloved for his treats, there are some areas of his life that the candy man would rather leave wrapped.
William Wonka, born Charles James Schrader Jr. in Fairfax, Virginia, got his start when he received money from a life insurance policy after his father, Charles Schrader, died in a fire at his local popcorn shop. Although the fire was officially designated an “accident”, several former law enforcement officials maintain there were suspicious circumstances surrounding the Schrader Popcorn Company fire. Despite rumors within the community and the Fairfax Police Department, it is important to note that Wonka has never been officially charged in connection to the fire.
Taking the lump sum received from the untimely death of his father, Wonka turned a tiny nest egg into a profitable local business - securing bulk orders of candy canes in the offseason before reselling them at a markup during Christmas time. While many viewed this as an enterprising venture, others believed this to be where Wonka first exhibited his dark obsession with sugary power. Wonka was known to be ruthless in the candy cane business, creating a monopoly in Fairfax county through fear and retaliation. One story, relayed to me by a long time local, concerns a former mall Santa named Joseph Burgen. Burgen, disillusioned by Wonka’s strict control over pricing and supply, began shipping candy canes in from the Dakotas before going door to door and handing them out for free at the local mall where he worked. However, after two weeks in the business, Joseph Burgen was shot and killed while out caroling on Christmas Eve in the winter of ‘77. Once again, suspicion pointed to Wonka, however, federal authorities have responded to our inquiries, citing that the case has gone cold and there is no pending reinvestigation. Wonka has never been charged, nor interviewed, regarding the shooting of Joseph Burgen.
Despite now being known for his chocolate empire, through the 80’s and 90’s, Wonka primarily built his wealth and influence through hard candies. Learning from the negative press he received for his candy cane markups early on in his career - Wonka pivoted, focusing on undercutting competitors through international labor loopholes and non-FDA approved ingredients in many of his products. In fact, in 1993, a popular line of Wonka gobstoppers was discontinued after it was discovered that the candy was actually comprised of 99% Afghani heroin. When asked for comment, Wonka representatives replied that they were not at liberty to discuss proprietary Wonka recipes, as well as ongoing litigation with the US and Afghan governments.
Red flag after red flag surrounding Wonka’s business dealings were ignored by investors and authorities alike as Wonka’s empire grew too big to fail through the early aughts. Following several meetings with high-powered bank executives, and despite an accelerating growth rate, Wonka’s corporation curiously began selling off real estate assets starting in 2006 up until the very tip of the financial bubble in 2008. In the wake of trillions of dollars lost in the crisis, Wonka repurchased most, if not all, of his previously sold real estate assets at pennies on the dollar - continuing to expand his scaling and distribution capabilities, thus enabling him to pivot and develop a stranglehold on the previously saturated chocolate market, in which many of the large Swiss players had gone bankrupt.
Depending on your vantage point, it appears that the line between luck and force is razor thin when it comes to the business dealings of Charles Schrader Jr. Where Wonka finds success, others find misery, and although he has never been indicted, the wreckage of his past appears to be no accident. In fact, nothing in the man’s life appears to be an accident at all.
Needless to say, Wonka is one of the premiere names in candy. His treats have delighted and satisfied millions. However, this reporter wonders if this Hollywood fantasy is just that - a fantasy, carefully calculated and orchestrated by a man about whom much is known, but little is understood.