The Walton dynasty, beneficiaries of the Walmart fortune, are among the most influential clans in the world today—remolders of American retailing, finance, giving, and even sports in subtle ways. It has been decades since Sam Walton founded Walmart in 1962, and yet his kin still bask in the giant success of the global retail empire that he had fashioned out of a single dollar discount store in Arkansas.
Walmart has become the largest retailer in the world, and the wealth it has created has propelled the Waltons to the highest rungs of global wealth. The family’s collective net worth now totals a whopping $432 billion, making them the world’s richest family, reported by Bloomberg.
How Do They Compare to Musk and Bezos?
Tesla Chairman Elon Musk, even though the richest person on the planet, lags behind the combined fortunes of the Walton family. Musk’s net wealth fell below $300 billion on Monday’s trading close, resting at $298 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. That is a decline of 31%, or roughly $135 billion, since January of 2025. Interestingly enough, his personal wealth had climbed to more than $400 billion in December 2024 and stayed above $300 billion up until recently.
11 of the Most Successful Family Businesses Ever:
1. Walmart (1962) – The Walton Family pic.twitter.com/gpYyEET312
— Neal Taparia (@nealtaparia) January 10, 2025
Musk, the highest donor to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, also remains the world’s richest man, despite losing more money than anyone else in 2025.
Second on the list is Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, with a net worth of $209.5 billion as of March 12, 2025, based on Forbes’ estimates still a far cry from the total assets of the Walton family.
Inside the Walmart Dynasty
Sam Walton’s son Rob Walton was also the chairman of Walmart until he retired from the position and from the board in 2024. He currently has an estimated net worth of $110 billion, as reported by Forbes. In 2022, he acquired Denver Broncos’ NFL team with his daughter and son-in-law Greg Penner. Penner is currently chairman of Walmart’s board.
Jim Walton, one of Sam’s sons and the ex-board member of Walmart, heads Arvest Bank Group and has a net worth of $109 billion.
Alice Walton, best known for her passion for the arts, has a net worth of $102 billion. She is the world’s richest woman and the 13th richest person in the world, as per Bloomberg.
The family’s wealth has also entered the professional sports arena. Anne Walton-Kroenke, daughter of Bud Walton (Sam Walton’s brother), is married to billionaire Stan Kroenke, whose sports empire includes teams like the Arsenal Football Club and the Denver Nuggets. As SBNation documented in 2022, the Waltons had successfully gained control over almost every major sports franchise in Colorado excluding only the Colorado Rockies.
