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If you have the last name Walton, you could be related to one of the richest family’s in the world. While history has taught us the name Sam Walton, founder of Walmart, the entrepreneur actually comes from a pretty large family, many of which top lists of the richest people in the world.
Meet the Walton’s and their net worth today.
Sam Walton – $8.6 Billion
At the time of his passing in 1992, it’s estimated Sam Walton was worth $8.6 billion ($15 billion today). One of the most influential figures of the 20th century, according to Celebrity Net Worth, Walton is known for founding Walmart in 1962, a retail giant that employs more people than any other private corporation.
Born in Kingfisher, OK, to Thomas and Nancy, Walton had a brother, James (Bud) and as a child, delivered newspapers, bringing his earnings back to his family, effected greatly by the Great Depression.
The original Walmart’s were located in rural, small towns, helping farmers and others like his own family find quality items at low prices. Walton married Helen Robson in 1943 and they pair had four children.
Helen Walton – $16.4 Billion
Unlike Sam, Helen lived to see the massive increase in the success of Walmart, passing in 2007 at the age of 87. Known as the richest American and eleventh-richest woman in the world at one point, Helen has not only been given credit with the idea of profit-sharing with company employees, she also instituted a committee for a national museum of arts. Upon Sam’s death, Helen donated $300 million to the University of Arkansas, the largest donation ever made to a public university in the United States.
Samuel Robson Walton – $59.2 Billion
As the eldest son of Sam and Helen Walton, ‘Rob’ was chairman over the Walmart company until he passed the position on to his son-in-law in 2015. Also the co-owner of Walton Enterprises, the retailer’s biggest shareholder, Rob has invested in numerous businesses, most recently, becoming owner of NFL’s Denver Bronco’s for a cool $4.65 billion. Rob has been married twice and has no children.
John Thomas Walton – $18.2 Billion
The only child of Sam and Helen Walton to have passed away due to a tragic plane crash, was estimated to be the fourth richest person in the United States at the time of his death. He was survived by his wife Christy and their son Lukas. John was the chairman of True North Venture Partners; a venture capital firm and he co-founded the Children’s Scholarship Fund for disadvantaged students.
James “Jim” Walton – $64.2 Billion
Jim is the youngest son of Sam and Helen Walton. At the time of their father’s death, Jim replaced his brother John on the Walmart Board of Directors. According to Wealthy Gorilla, he currently serves on the Strategic Planning and Finance committee and was the CEO of his family owned Arvest bank until becoming chairman. Jim is also the Chairman of newspaper firm Community Publishers Inc.
Alice Walton – $64.5 Billion
The youngest child and only daughter of Sam and Helen Walton is the 10th richest person in America and currently lives on a 3,200-acre ranch in Texas. Of the four children, Alice has perhaps remained the most reclusive and private, choosing to focus her energy on the things she enjoys, such as breeding race-winning horses. In addition, she shares her mother’s love for the arts and has been an advocate for local art museums and traveling exhibits.
Carrie Walton Penner – $5 Billion
Carrie is the daughter of Rob Walton and granddaughter of Sam Walton. She is on the board of directors for the Walton Family Foundation. Her husband, Greg Penner became chairman of Walmart when father-in-law Jim took a step back. Carrie serves on several additional boards such as the KIPP Foundation, the Alliance for School Choice and the Charter School Growth Fund.
She has three siblings, not currently on boards with the Walmart company.
Lukas Walton – $14.9 Billion
The only son of the late John Thomas Walton, Lukas is a business investor. As founder and CEO of Builders Vision, he’s now working toward environmental needs by bringing together entrepreneurs and other leaders to create change. Lukas was diagnosed with cancer at the age of three and feels the all-natural diet his mother fed him contributed to his recovery, prompting the entrepreneur to work toward healthy lifestyles for businesses.
James “Bud” Walton – $ 1 Billion
The Walton legacy wouldn’t be what it is today without including Sam’s brother Bud. The not-so-recognizable co-founder of Walmart preferred to take a back seat to all the attention and served as Senior Vice President and Director, obtaining real estate and managing new stores built according to Associated Press. At the time of his death in 1995, it was estimated Bud had a net worth of $1 billion.
Sources: Celebrity Net Worth, Wealthy Gorilla, Associated Press